Chapter 212: Life is hard; I’m harder

Sorry, I'm a day late. My sister dropped by unexpectedly yesterday and that prevented me from writing... But after a sleepless night, here's the chap!
I'll try to catch up soon.

Next chap, Monday 8.

Enjoy!

*

Priam grinned as he saw Gabrielle's surprise. The teenager looked around with wide eyes, discreetly tapping the ground with her foot.

“A spatial pocket grafted onto the tree?” she asked in French.

“It's a natural organ of Log-a-rhythm,” Priam explained. Thanks to his privileged connection with the tree, he now understood that the organ grew with the plant. That was why the walls of the spatial pocket were made of wood and sap flowed inside.

“Did it absorb a spatial fragment? Or is it a spontaneous mutation? Perhaps an ancient bloodline?!”

Priam posed the question to the tree's instinct and was surprised by the response. “A spatial Tribulation raged here just before its birth. Log-a-rhythm was fortunate to inherit a spatial affinity.”

A Tribulation that had targeted the royal elf at the origin of the tree.

“Elysium is full of opportunities,” Gabrielle simply replied. “This space is rather large.”

Priam remained silent. The infirmary they had just entered corresponded to about a quarter of the total volume possessed by Log-a-rhythm. Above, a room three times larger served as a hideout for non-combatants. Priam mentally thanked Hyshana for thinking to shelter them. Jasmine wasn't the only one who could take people hostage...

As Priam prepared to lower Kazuki into a bath of regenerative sap, Gabrielle intervened.

“His wounds are open; he risks bleeding out if we put him in a bath.”

“This sap is thicker than water,” Priam pointed out.

Gabrielle shrugged. “If you're sure there's no danger…”

Priam exchanged a glance with Hyshana, who shook her head. “Yeah, it's better not to take any risks,” he acknowledged.

Mentally, Priam instructed Log-a-rhythm to replace the sap bath with a reclining chair. Hyshana and he gently lowered Kazuki onto it. The hoplite weakly grunted when his thighs touched the wood. Even as the blood loss should have rendered him unconscious, the warrior clung on thanks to Micro.

A bowl of regenerative sap descended from the ceiling, and Priam handed it to Hyshana, who applied it to her husband's wounds. Priam studied his friend before furrowing his brow.

“Something is blocking his vitality.”

“His wounds are slightly contaminated by a Concept, which disrupts natural regeneration,” Gabrielle explained.

A dangerous gleam lit up Hyshana's eyes. “The bitc—” She glanced at the teenager before coughing. “Did Eleha try to cripple Kazuki?”

Gabrielle shook her head.

“She doesn't have the appropriate Concepts for that. Plague, corruption, necrosis, disease, sadness, misfortune... These kinds of Concepts can be terrible, but the Aelbes don't possess these legacies. Here, we just see a side effect of high-level combat.”

Gabrielle's explanation contained interesting information, but Priam was concerned about his friend's health.

“Concretely, what does this mean for Kazuki?”

“The higher Tier a Concept is, the more it tends to permanently alter the world—to pollute it. There are traces of one of Eleha's Concepts in the wound, which will make healing more complicated.”

“Will he be able to walk again?” Hyshana asked. Kazuki raised his head with difficulty, and Priam saw fear in his eyes. The Hoplite Champion feared nothing except helplessness.

Gabrielle immediately reassured the worried warrior. “You'll heal! Ambient aether is already breaking down the pollution. In a few days, no trace of the Concept will be left. I'm only here to accelerate the healing with some ointments and decoctions.”

As Hyshana and Kazuki shared a sigh of relief, Priam turned to Gabrielle.

“If you can help my friend, you’ll have my permission to use the Auctions,” he promised.

“Thank you so much!” Gabrielle exclaimed, bowing.

Priam raised his hand. “No need to bow. Do you need the Auctions to help Kazuki?”

“I have everything on me, but I need a workspace to mix the ingredients.”

With a thought, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to grow a wooden table. As Gabrielle took out various powders from her satchel to work, Priam leaned towards Hyshana.

“I'm going to talk to the tribes about their request for access to the Auctions. Do you have an opinion?”

Hyshana replied without taking her eyes off her husband. “Don't let your anger dictate your actions. You're the Lord of Oasis, and its inhabitants rely on you.”

“... Are you asking me to forgive Eleha's tribe? After what she did to Kazuki?”

Hyshana shook her head. “No, that would send a message of weakness. I'm just advising you to use this incident to our advantage and get the best possible conditions. So that my husband's blood didn't spill for nothing.”

*

A portal opened in Alain's cabin, and Priam stepped out. Before continuing the negotiations, he had a few notifications to check.

Ideal upgrade available for [Erosion Resistance - Rare].

Prerequisites met:

• Destruction and regeneration of all your meridians.

• [Bloodless]'s Merit: second meridian network.

• Destruction and regeneration of all your second meridian network.

• [Homo Elysian Obsession].

• Your meridians have temporarily supported a power exceeding 20 MW.

Ideal Upgrade unlocked:
[Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic] -  Through destruction and regeneration, your two sets of meridians have strengthened and will now seek to adapt to other abuses. Ideal upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 320

Priam almost groaned reading the list of prerequisites. The ideal upgrades all had nearly impossible requirements. However, [He Who Eludes Death] allowed him to achieve hardly feasible feats. Who else could destroy his body, mind, and soul without consequence? With this Talent, most of the conditions required to unlock a resistance's ideal upgrade were accessible. The real difficulty was discovering these prerequisites.

Perhaps the tribes could help him with that?

You have selected the skill [Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic].
POT -320

[Adaptive Golden Meridians - Epic] - Like the cycle of water, aether has no source or end. Filtered by your soul, ambient aether is stored in your heart. From there, it flows into your body, fueling each of your cells and the runes within them. The pathways it uses are called meridians.
People treat their meridians with care. Without them, most skills cannot be activated. Instead of coddling yours, you showed them some tough love. Your extraordinary physique and highly adaptable metabolism allowed for an ideal mutation.
Your pathways widen, strengthen, and become more flexible to allow for an increase in maximum aether flow. The speed of aether circulation increases.
META (Focus) +6
META (Endurance) +3

An icy river began to flow through his veins, and Priam had to hold back a gasp. The System was modifying his meridians, and while the skill description was banal, its effect was remarkable.

His aether reserves hadn't even increased by two percent, but the energy spread much faster through his body. With each beat of his human heart, a stream of aether split off, simultaneously feeding both sets of pathways. Feeling the fluid coursing through him, Priam understood why the first Merit of [Bloodless] allowed for a second set of meridians. Just like blood, aether originated from the heart. Whether it traveled through the cardiovascular system or the meridians made no difference.

Priam wondered if it was possible to acquire this ability without wasting a Merit point. I have so much to learn…

Flexing his aether proficiency, Priam summoned a light rune. Instead of drawing from his heart's reserves, he used the aether that his soul had just filtered and that occupied his soul space. The energy flowed naturally and quickly from his soul to his Domain before creating a white orb. It was both quick and easy.

Satisfied, Priam then spent a few minutes testing his new abilities. He formulated hypotheses, tested them, and analyzed the data collected with his system. The results were interesting.

“Meridians are not just physical,” he murmured.

The aether filtered by his soul flowed into a spiritual meridian to his heart, where it accumulated up to the limit imposed by meta-endurance. This spiritual meridian had been reinforced by the ideal upgrade and had a twin that allowed for reverse travel. When Priam conjured his aether into his Domain, the energy drawn from his heart traversed this second spiritual pathway and was then injected into his sphere of authority.

His new golden meridians tolerated a higher flow rate, so Priam could pump more aether than before. This strengthened [Aether Manipulation] but also [Kinetic Control]. In the future, Priam could freeze his enemies or launch Promesse without committing suicide in the process.

“... Who am I kidding, I'll still be dying, but the explosions will be much bigger!” he laughed.

His final conclusion was just as interesting. Glancing at his skill, or rather the attributes it conferred, Priam understood that meta-focus commanded his ability to use large amounts of aether quickly.

“If meta-endurance is a measure of my energy reserve, meta-focus corresponds to my power.”

Happy to have uncovered a new facet of the System, Priam focused on the last notification.

Title upgraded! [Weathered - Silver] becomes [Life is hard; I’m harder - Gold].
Congratulations!

[Life is hard; I’m harder - Gold] - You have naturally developed ten epic resistances, including at least one ideal.
Despite having skin scarred by blades and claws, blood poisoned by traitors, muscles torn by your Tribulations, bones reforged by flames, and heart tempered by your Tribulations, you still move forward. Under the necro moon, your soul in the hands of a fallen god, your mind ravaged by a Concept, you endure.
When death awaits you, you smile.
When life tests you, you draw your spear.
This Title increases the speed and ease of acquiring resistances. This Title allows replacing one of the five prerequisites for the ideal upgrade from a common resistance to rare or rare to epic.
Both you and diamonds are hard; too bad they’re bright and you’re dull.
CONST +30%

"Fuck you too," Priam grinned. The System was a tsundere, but the Title was excellent, and Priam had more than earned it. Better yet, the ten percent constitution bonus was almost pushing him to the second threshold, and Priam couldn't wait to reach it.

However, the cherry on top was the effect of the Title. With it, Priam could become the ultimate tank. His enemies would shatter their blades on his bones.

"Kanak' es thm!"

An outburst snapped Priam out of his reverie. He approached a window and looked down below. Under the foliage of Log-a-rhythm, the five representatives of the tribes were waiting. Eleha was almost screaming at the other two Tier 3s, her shrill voice reigniting the embers of anger in Priam's heart.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. His loved ones were counting on him, and with Tier 4s in the balance, there was no room for error.

"It was easier when all I had to do was kill spiders and rabhorns..."

Elysium was a terrifying world, but there was something simple about facing monsters. Kill or be killed, the decision was obvious.

But not all decisions could be so easy. Today, the tribes were demanding access to the Auctions, and negotiations would be tough to keep Oasis independent in the face of Tier 4s.

"It's just another battle," Priam encouraged himself. "If the others were physical, this one is political. As usual, the important thing is to win."

*

"Excuse me for the wait," Priam smiled as he stepped out of Log-a-rhythm. He took a seat at the table and eyed the various participants.

Eleha seemed ready to jump on him despite her missing arms. By her side, Katara was as white as a sheet, casting furtive glances at her shadow. Jasmine hadn't made any other appearances, but everyone knew she was nearby.

The two Snaherts were waiting patiently. Viktol and Vysharratjekto couldn't be more different. While the Tier 0 was massive and timid, the Tier 3 was slender and intense. A draconic bloodline ran through his veins, and he looked at Priam as if he were a treasure.

Laepa, the Gaesert responsible for Gabrielle, passed the time sharpening some sort of javelin. Far from being threatening, she seemed concerned.

"Can we start now?" she asked, putting away her weapon.

"I'm ready to hear your conditions," Priam replied.

Eleha spoke, glaring daggers at him. "Our tribes want the right to use the Auctions. In exchange, we're willing to raise the merchant rank. You'll be able to buy—"

Priam interrupted her. "Sorry, I must not have been clear enough: I'm ready to hear the conditions of the Snaherts and Gaeserts. The Aelbes will have to send a more polite representative."

"You refuse to negotiate with the Aelbes?!"

"I refuse to negotiate with you," Priam growled. "I’m choosing to believe that your tribe made a mistake in sending you as a representative and giving them a second chance. That's, I believe, generous of me. As for you, you're banned from Oasis."

"How dare you..." Eleha turned purple before looking at the other two Tier 3s. "Are you going to say nothing?!"

Vysharratjekto and Laepa glanced at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. Seeing that the Snahert wouldn't bother to respond, Laepa explained. "Oasis has nuclear weapons; diplomatic means should be favored."

"And we have Tier 4s!"

"Which means we all have the power to destroy each other. If Priam is as clever as I think he is, he won't forget that in the upcoming negotiations," Laepa said, giving Priam a meaningful look, to which he nodded.

"Oasis has every interest in having powerful partners."

Eleha gritted her teeth before standing up. "I believe everything has been said. Katara."

The apprentice stood up and picked up a crystal from one of her pockets. When she broke it, she and Eleha disappeared.

*

"Ten percent commission is too high considering the volume of goods we plan to sell. Five percent seems more reasonable," Vysharratjekto declared.

"Seven," Priam countered, glancing at the Forum. Half an hour ago, Laepa had disappeared into Ymir's pavilion, leaving the Snaherts to negotiate their partnership with Oasis. If Priam had authorized the Gaesert huntress to use the Auctions, it was to separate her from Vysharratjekto and prevent the two remaining tribes from teaming up to pressure him.

"Five percent and our free assistance if a necro Envoy attacks you."

The image of Mirscella possessed by a Tier 3 Necro Marquess imposed itself on Priam before he managed to shake it off.

"You're only protecting your investment," he pointed out.

"And it's only fair that we're compensated for it."

"... Five percent, your help in case of an attack by a necro Envoy, and a list of the ideal upgrade prerequisites for skills."

Viktol gasped, and Vysharratjekto narrowed his eyes. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't commit to that. That kind of knowledge is the cornerstone of a faction."

"Only for common or rare skills?" Priam tried. "Or could we exchange them for the prerequisites I discovered on my own?"

Being more numerous, it was an interesting deal for the tribes.

You..." Something sparked in the Tier 3's eyes. "Do you have [Poison Resistance]?"

Priam hesitated for a moment before answering. "I have [Poison Body - Rare]."

"A high upgrade, not bad. I can't promise you a list of prerequisites, but I think the Chief will agree to subject you to the Gu trial. If you endure it, you'll unlock an ideal upgrade. That's the best I can do, and it's already generous."

The prospect of a new epic and ideal resistance interested Priam.

"We have a deal if you leave our territory in peace. That is, Oasis and the rabhorn valley to the north."  

That was Sumstreh's condition. If a Tier 4 approached too close, they had threatened to kill Sphinx, and Priam knew they would do it.

*

Status: 

PHYSICAL:
Strength 582
Constitution 979 (+75)
Agility 561
Vitality 860
Perception 719 

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 516
Dexterity 594
Memory 471
Willpower 1 036
Charisma 631 

META:
Meta-affinity 563
Meta-focus 372 (+6)
Meta-endurance 391 (+4)
Meta-perception 260
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 66

Potential: 9 790 (+3)
Tier 0

Sun points: 138 788 (+72)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 4 hours 35 minutes 43 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 162 days 5 hours 8 minutes 56 seconds.

Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900