Chapter 271: Back in Time part 2

I was supposed to post earlier, but COVID had other plans... Who still catches that thing in 2024? Me...

Writing while sick is quite challenging, and my fatigue has left me less satisfied with what I’ve written, but I didn’t want to leave you waiting too long for a chapter. So, I’ve made some slight adjustments to what I had planned. The last chapter of the arc will therefore be Chapter 272 and should be posted tomorrow. It’s finished, but I hope to be in better shape tomorrow to review it.

TL;DR: The last chapter of the "Back in Time" arc will be posted tomorrow. If I were you, I’d wait to read Chapters 271 and 272 together.
*

From a human perspective, Sphinx was a child. From a sphinx’s perspective, she was already a warrior. Though the bloodline flowing through her veins was artificial and therefore imperfect, it exuded a mythological dignity. It spoke of self-assurance and revenge.

Spiritually bound by Bastard, Sphinx had been forced to serve him. The tiny cage, the starvation, and the complete lack of privacy—not even to relieve herself—would have broken seasoned warriors. Not Sphinx. The pride of her race, the nobility of her birth, and the belief that Priam was coming to free her gave her the strength to fight.

That was exactly what she had done, working around Sumstreh’s commands. He had ordered her to sever the karmic ties to their former identity to escape their assassins and debts. Sphinx had done more than that. Officially, her racial Talent had cut those connections with the Fallen’s permission. Off the record, she had used his ignorance to bind their fates together. If anything happened to her, Sumstreh would pay the price.

Today, she was turning those karmic links into a weapon. Casting one last glance at Priam, Sphinx unleashed the seal on her attributes and triggered her final Tribulation. The first six could be postponed, but the seventh didn’t wait.

A septuple Tribulation descends.

A terrifying presence made the world tremble. The gaze of an eternal ego fell on Sphinx, and despite her mythic bloodline, she shuddered. A sevenfold Tribulation was unlike the others. It was the defiant declaration of a being ready to fight for the Eighth Throne.

The child stood no chance, but death didn’t scare her. Ever since Priam had confided that this timeline was nearing its end, Sphinx had done everything to accumulate attributes. Squandering her Potential, she had created and leveled up numerous pointless skills. Her initial four Tribulations had swelled to seven, and Sumstreh would endure them.

With a sharp claw, Sphinx slit her own throat and activated her racial Talent. Tightening the knot of her life and Sumstreh’s one last time, she smiled as the hidden divine mark within her soul activated. It didn’t matter—one can only die once.

Except Priam, she thought as death claimed her. Watching the sky darken, she realized she felt cold. If only someone could pet her…

*

In the sky, the Tribulations froze for a moment. Their original target had vanished, but one of the beings present shared the same fate. A colossal lightning bolt lit up the clouds. The System was out for blood and wouldn’t leave without some.

*

Sumstreh’s shocked expression might have been comical if Priam hadn’t just watched his friend sacrifice herself. Sphinx... Next time, it’ll be me protecting you, he swore silently.

The clouds took on a menacing shape, drawing his attention. Sphinx’s weaknesses weren’t the same as Sumstreh’s, and the Tribulations were shifting accordingly.

“Damn you all!” the Fallen roared, summoning a black dome around him. The structure began to expand, and Priam took to the air to avoid being caught in its spread.

Landing on a cliff riddled with cracks, he watched the Divine Kingdom engulf the valley and the storm clouds above. The power of a septuple Tribulation was calibrated for a Tier 0, but seeing the enemy react so seriously, Priam dared to hope it might be enough to kill him.

Movement to his right caught his eye. Arnold had just teleported fifty meters away. A miniature nova hovered above the homunculus’ hand, and Priam raised Promesse in response. The two rivals locked eyes until an emerald lightning bolt interrupted them.

The world flashed a vivid green, then the light disappeared, taking the dark dome with it. Priam blinked, banishing the spots from his vision, and focused on the center of the valley. The Divine Kingdom had vanished, shattered like a soap bubble. In its place lay Sumstreh’s skeleton, immobile, his ghost convulsing. In a catatonic state, the Fallen muttered an incomprehensible litany. Noticing the absence of a Domain, Priam guessed the enemy was undergoing a mental Tribulation.

The System was proving that a mental trial didn’t need much energy to defeat even a Tier 4. Maybe they never passed a Tribulation after their pseudo-resurrection? Their weaknesses must be glaring. For the second time, Priam grasped why the System forced its users to face these deadly challenges.

But six more Tribulations remained. Dust swirled at the center of the valley, and a figure emerged. Facing the Tier 4, the ghost of an elven woman strode forward. Standing over two meters tall, she had cruelly exquisite features, more akin to a blood elf than a forest elf. According to [Ideal Aether Perception], the aether within her barely surpassed Priam’s energy reserves, which matched a Tier 0 Tribulation. Yet, a glance with [Tribulation Hunter] revealed the System was playing dirty.

The elf bore three Tribulations: an emerald train of ambient aether followed her every movement, two heterochromatic eyes—one gold, the other emerald—seemed to see everything. Impressive, but less so than the two Tribulations that constituted her.

The elf wasn’t just a combination of two Tribulations. She was their multiplication. Priam’s eyes widened as he realized that, according to Bechar’s square function, the elven ghost was potentially seventeen hundred times stronger than the first Tribulation of a Tier 0.

While he wondered if the System was angry at Sumstreh or if this was simply the norm for a sevenfold Tribulation, the elf tilted her head, dodging an invisible attack that carved a canyon behind her. The Fallen’s automatic defenses were activating, even though their creator was unconscious. The ghost’s expression remained unchanged, evading each projectile with ease.

Priam was struck by the elf’s regal bearing. Her royal stride neither quickened nor slowed as she avoided attacks that could obliterate any Tier 0 not resistant to divine influences. Her supernatural grace hinted at a high level of Micro, and her prescience seemed the result of an advanced Domain. Against her, the Fallen’s preparations looked laughable.

The ritual capable of annihilating the entire island reappeared, covering the sky. With a casual wave, the elf gathered her emerald train into a sphere and launched it into the air. The orb pierced through the colossal runes, completing them. Like a 3 turning into an 8, the sigils’ form changed their meaning. When the ritual activated, an emerald rain fell, covering the ruined valley in a lush carpet of greenery. Sumstreh's promised destruction had been turned into creation in a single move.

“Holy…”

For the first time since the Tutorial, Priam was face-to-face with a being so far beyond him she was incomprehensible. The elven ghost might have been Tier 0, but she didn’t seem to possess any weaknesses. On paper, her attributes were inferior to Priam’s, but he had no illusions: that thing would have wiped the floor with him.

Finally, the elf reached the specter.

“I, Ayank Iluva, Empress of Knaya, see the heir of Sumstreh Rbhn,” she declared. Priam perked up at the mention of the Empire ruling the Wandering Islands. “The original’s sentence was death. Does the heir have a defense to offer?”

The mental Tribulation tormenting Sumstreh dissipated, and the Fallen stood.

“I acknowledge the Empress’ authority,” they said, bowing. “You condemned me once, and your executioner carried out the sentence. Must I pay again for the crimes of the one whose soul fragment I bear?”

Their voice no longer echoed in the ambient aether, and Priam wondered if the Fallen was showing respect to the Empress' ghost or if some invisible Tribulation shackled their soul. Priam had only seen six Tribulations, but he was certain the last one lurked in the background.

“That would have been an acceptable defense if you hadn't used 'me'... or if the System hadn’t summoned me as suzerain. You see yourself as the continuation of Sumstreh Rbhn, and as such, you inherit responsibility for his crimes,” the ghost judged. “I therefore renew your death sentence.” Her voice thundered, and the world shook as if conscious that the elf's will would be done. “Any last words?”

An Empress who is both judge and executioner, Priam grimaced. It was a dangerous combination because it meant she held all the power. Still, even his French side wasn’t dumb enough to rebel against someone who could execute gods.

“... I wish to report a crime,” Sumstreh said, turning toward Priam. “One of the alien Champions possesses a celestial soul and body.”

“That son of a bitch,” Priam cursed, raising Promesse. The Fallen was trying to drag him down with him!

Just before he could fire to silence his enemy—and maybe land the last hit—his instincts held his hand. Violating royal protocol meant forfeiting his lives. Arnold also stepped back, and the rivals watched the Tribulation carry out the sentence.

The ghostly Empress raised her hand. A massive rune appeared, and just looking at it made Priam’s head ache. The sigil was unlike anything he had ever seen, as if it existed naturally on more than three dimensions. [Polyglot] tried to translate it in vain, and then the character dissolved.

The world split in two. The Tribulation’s arm was a divine guillotine that sliced the condemned, the air, and the earth. Sumstreh’s skeleton crumbled in two perfect halves, the Fallen not even trying to resist.

Completed Quest: Fallen

Priam dismissed the notification with a knot in his stomach, the devastation in the valley gnawing at him. The ground trembled as trees toppled in a straight line stretching to the horizon. That alone would have been an impressive attack, but the Empress’ hand had carved a half-circle from sky to earth. High above, the clouds split apart, and Priam stifled a nervous laugh, predicting what was coming next.

With a sound like the world ending, the bedrock behind the elf fractured, and the two halves of the valley slowly drifted apart. Soon, the deep blue of the ocean peeked through the gray stone. Kilometers below, the sea rejoined after being cleaved apart.

The ghost of the Empress had cut the island in two.

“That is not one of my Empire’s laws.”

Priam spun around, coming face-to-face with the incarnated Tribulation. Her two mesmerizing eyes were studying him. Despite his fear, he realized she was referring to Sumstreh’s accusation.

“Your Empire doesn’t hunt those with celestial souls?”

The Empress shook her head. “Not without the express request of a powerful Pantheon. My original self never chose the path of deification, so she has no reason to enforce that law proactively.”

“So, I’m safe in the Wandering Islands?”

The Empress frowned. “So many questions, yet so little respect…”

“Oh, I… uh, my respects?” Priam attempted, bowing as gracefully as he could. His college courses hadn’t exactly prepared him for an impromptu audience with an Empress, but Esmée had taught him a few basics. The first rule was simple: stroke the sovereign's ego.

A flicker of amusement passed through the elf's eyes. “Your alien origin won’t excuse your ignorance forever. To answer your question, the Concepts protect you from the worst as long as you are within their universe.” Priam opened his mouth, but a glance from the Empress silenced him. “However, even the most humble believer will be able to sense the celestial quality of your heretical soul and alert their god. Until your [Revelation Resilience] improves, every believer is a threat.”

That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but Priam forced a smile. “I’ll be careful.”

The ghost nodded before gesturing to the Fallen's skeleton. “Those crushed bones will make excellent fertilizer for the Tal Quercus.”

“You know the elf who became Log-a-rhythm?”

The Empress blinked, then shook her head. “That insatiable curiosity will get you killed,” she said before disappearing.

Priam reflected that his curiosity had already killed him once. Hiding a smirk, he sent Jasmine to gather the bones and any other treasures that had survived the battle. Hopefully, Bastard was rich...

“One minute and sixteen seconds.” Arnold’s voice snapped Priam out of his thoughts.

“Huh?”

“The Fallen died in under two minutes from a septuple Tribulation meant for a Tier 0. Is it even possible to survive those at Tier 0?”

He wants to chat? Now that everyone had left, the homunculus seemed to shed his robotic demeanor. Priam could even hear a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Not for us. We weren’t born with enough privilege,” Priam finally replied. “But through effort and madness, we’ll catch up.”

Priam was not naïve enough to think he could surpass his rivals by only taking calculated risks.

“As expected from the First,” Arnold mused. “Is that your goal for the next Tier?”

Priam shrugged. “Not necessarily. I like defying the odds, but I’m not suicidal.”

“But you will do it, right? You’ll rise high enough to challenge the ultimate test of the Concepts?”

“Yeah, it’s just another step toward the Zenith.”

The Zenith—a peak so high that even the masters of this universe hadn’t reached the summit. The mere thought of achieving it was so unbearably arrogant it bordered on insanity. However, humans hadn’t invented the term hubris for nothing.

Looking deep within himself, Priam realized that at some point in the past few weeks, he had decided to pursue this path. His passion for magic, his fascination with the arcane nature of aether, the freedom promised by absolute power—these all fueled his desire to rise. While the mundane world had never truly stirred him, Priam now trembled with anticipation at the thought of conquering a septuple Tribulation.

“If you survive today,” Arnold added.

Priam gave a mocking smile to his rival. “Your last sentences were in the future tense; even your subconscious knows you won’t kill me.”

A nova flared in response.

*

[2 hours 18 minutes before optimal activation of Back in Time.]

*

Status:

PHYSICAL:
Strength 782
Constitution 1 435
Agility 927
Vitality 1 370
Perception 817

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 599
Dexterity 681
Memory 896
Willpower 1 193
Charisma 754

META:
Meta-affinity 923
Meta-focus 444
Meta-endurance 798
Meta-perception (A) 443
Meta-chance 332
Meta-authority 258

Potential: 12 472
Tier 0

Sun point: 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED

[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 152 days 7 hours 49 minutes 39 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attribute > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 500