Chapter 192: The Liar and the Mummy

I'm pretty happy with this chapter! 

Next chapter: Monday. Maybe Sunday, but since I'm not home this weekend, I'd rather announce Monday. 

Enjoy!

*

Hope Sector, Viracocha’s Heaven.

In a nightmarish metal temple, a god of mist, lightning, and malevolence was sitting on a colossal stone throne. His crescent pupils stared into emptiness as he handled a hundred problems simultaneously. The crusade against Qucha raged on, dominating his primary consciousness. Most of his parallel thoughts were engaged in managing his internal world, while a fraction trained his skills.

Finally, a minority of his consciousness attempted to address the issues concerning his upcoming Tribulation.

The System had undoubtedly concocted something terrifying, and many of his faithful would perish. Viracocha’s build focused on the sacrifice of his followers rather than his own, and he was confident in his survival. However, his enemies, Qucha foremost among them, would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to attack. The countdown to his Tribulation was ticking, and he had to resolve the goddess issue before that. He glanced at his notifications.

[Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending.
Future Tribulation delayed until:
Time: 84 523 days 18 hours 24 minutes 9 seconds.

Two hundred and thirty years. A lengthy span for some mortals, but a relatively short deadline for a god.

Suddenly, one of his minor consciousnesses brought up a Hope Sector announcement. Priam Azura had just become an Ace.

For a thousandth of a second, Viracocha's major consciousness was astonished. The mortal, less than an insect, had chosen the Zenith Way. He surely believed he was the chosen one awaited by the Seven. What folly.

Viracocha had long understood that the Zenith Way was a trap—a means for the Seven to closely monitor all the greatest geniuses. The System littered their path with obstacles, forcing their development in the hope that they would find answers to eternal questions.

Skillfully manipulating time, space, order, and karma, the Concepts compelled these prodigies to clash, honing their skills in an endless cycle of battle and growth. Those who survived this crucible eventually became the titans of the Universe.

The vast majority were crushed without remorse.

A thought crossed Viracocha's mind. Despite all his efforts to stay away from conflicts that could lead to his demise, he had bestowed his blessing upon an Ace. His suspicious nature suspected that the System had planned it all along. He thought he had paid the right to proselytize during the Reunion of Humanity, but his offering must not have satisfied the Seven. Greedy bastards...

The news bored Viracocha. Priam Azura was currently nothing more than a mosquito, but in this Universe, things changed rapidly. Yet, not for a moment did he consider retracting his blessing. The Champion of humanity was currently in Elysium, and any direct interaction would increase his karma with the Spearhead World.

A Universal War was approaching, and Viracocha had no desire to die on some battlefield fighting against aliens so that the Seven Grand Concepts could find their own inspiration.

One of his consciousnesses connected to the blessing he had granted the human. The Concept he had crafted to become a god had to do with death. In this regard, it was pretty simple for him to check if Priam was in danger.

The received data made him smile. The human had nearly succumbed three times in the last week.

"How many times can you dance with death without granting it a final kiss?" chuckled Viracocha.

The laughter made thunder roar and millions of followers in the Heaven shudder.

*

Priam squinted at Jasmine. Naked and seemingly eager to defend Oasis, she presented the image of a trustworthy ally. Yet, Priam didn't believe it for a second.

Summoning Promesse, he approached her and glanced at the portal. It was linked to his internal world, but he couldn't see what was happening in the Tribulations Chamber. Neither he nor his system had noticed any issues, which meant it was part of Jasmine's Tribulations.

"Kazuki!" Priam shouted. "Enemy incoming."

The wind rose, heralding the arrival of the hoplite. The next moment, the ground shook to cushion his landing. Equipped with Knightmare, Kazuki was ready for battle. The three defenders positioned themselves in an arc facing the portal, with Jasmine in the center.

"Who's the enemy?" Priam asked.

"My double. We spent almost a century killing each other, but I managed to escape. The portal healed my aging, not hers. She can steal some Talents, that's how she stole my system—"

The portal trembled before spitting out a mummy. Jasmine threw a shadow dagger that Priam intercepted. Despite the ravages of time, [Primogenitor] recognized the body he had created for the young woman. A body that possessed his subsystem.

Priam straightened up, his voice extremely cold. "Two Jasmines, huh? The first one who moves before I clarify things dies," he growled. His gut told him someone was trying to trick him.

The young Jasmine froze as the mummy raised blind eyes to Priam. In the background, Kazuki murmured something before nodding. The next moment, his spear tore off the left arm of young Jasmine, narrowly missing her heart.

"According to Blueberry, she's the fake one," warned the hoplite. Priam had no idea how the bear had discovered this, but he trusted his friend.

The doppelganger melted into the shadows, and Priam activated his Domain. His attributes supported his sphere of authority, allowing it to crush his enemy’s Concept. The darkness summoned by his opponent froze, preventing her from riding the shadows.

Priam used the brief window created by the surprise to throw Promesse. Wrapped in Aura and Mastery, the spear cut through the air before shattering the shadows covering the ground.

The doppelganger and her leg did not reappear in the same place. Priam leaped, grabbing the fake Jasmine's head and smashing it against the ground. Simultaneously, he used his Domain to search for the Tribulation fragment.

After Louis's Tribulation, the summoned crab had contained only a fragment of Resilience Concept. Here, [Tribulation Hunter] detected a fragment similar to the wyvern's whose heart he now carried.

Tribulation Affinity will disappear if she dies, Priam understood as he located the fragment. It was hidden in the creature's shadow. Priam plunged his hand into the shadow but only touched the ground.

"You should release me, you idiot," spat the doppelganger as a trickle of blood ran from her lips. "I am Jasmine's fourth Tribulation. If you kill me, the System will attack you."

Priam furrowed his brow. Bechar, Maya, and Mercury had all explained to him that interfering in another's Tribulations was a death wish. Otherwise, any High Tier would protect their progeny.

"I'm already interfering, and I don't feel the System's warning," remarked Priam.

"Because you are part of her Tribulations. Depending on her choices, you were supposed to face each other," the doppelganger spat.

Priam turned to Jasmine, who was listening to the conversation. The Tribulations had turned her into a barely living mummy. I had almost forgotten how terrifying Tribulations can be...

"She's twisting the truth," murmured Jasmine. "Crossing the portal freed her from all constraints. She no longer has to obey the System, and it doesn't have to protect her. You can strike." Jasmine's blind eyes filled with darkness as she activated her Concept. Instantly, the shadow under Priam's fingers gained substance.

Deciding to trust Jasmine and his instinct, Priam enveloped his hand in Aura and searched the shadow. [Tribulation Hunter] found the Tribulation fragment and pulled.

The doppelganger screamed as Priam absorbed the affinity. Some kind of star appeared in his body, riding his meridians before reaching his draconic heart, where it vanished.

Tribulation Affinity detected.

Your Soul Tier is too weak to support an increase of your Tribulation Affinity.

Decomposing Tribulation into sub-Concepts.

Soul Harmonisation :
Choose a sub-Concept compatible with your soul:

• Tier 0:

Ice (25%), Vapor (21%), Iron (34%), Air(42%),...
Motion (51%), Light (86%),...
Emotion (22%),...
Puzzle (24%),...
Luck (18%),...
Volume (45%),... Measure (33%),...
Breath (91%),...

• Tier 1:

Glacier (12%), Cloud (21%), Steel (22%), Dioxygen (21%),...
Kinetic (33%), Heat (54%), Combustion (41%), Shadow (21%),...
Love (7%),...
Logic (15%),...
Stochasticity (11%),...
Geometry (19%), Tempo (8%),...
Will (25%),...

Or increase your current Affinity:

- Mist (32%)
- Pyro (68%)

Pyro is an artificial Concept, why is it under Tribulation?

Unstable Tribulation Affinity.
Choose a sub-Concept.

Unlike previous opportunities to increase his affinities, the System demanded a fast decision. Priam swiftly assessed the elements at his disposal to make a choice.

Thanks to [Homo Elysian Obsession] and [He Who Eludes Death], incinerating his body and soul with Pyro allowed him to boost his affinity with the Concept. Boosting Pyro's affinity seemed futile, so it boiled down to Mist or a third Concept.

Priam held no particular affinity for mist, but the System nudged him in that direction by bestowing [Moon Mist] upon him at the start of the Reunion. Following the System's advice might limit his immediate freedom, yet it could open doors to unique opportunities. A third Concept was not ruled out, but Priam aimed to consolidate his strengths before accumulating more.

The question is whether I'm pragmatic enough to make sacrifices if it increases my chances of victory in the end... After a brief hesitation, Priam chose Mist.

His draconic heart pulsed an aetheric wave through his entire body. Some dissipated into the atmosphere, but the majority penetrated his soul space.

Priam's soul trembled.

[Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +22% (54%).

Using Domain, Aura, and Kinetic Control, Priam immobilized the doppelganger, who writhed beneath him as his soul underwent transformation from the Tribulation Affinity. The change was radical. Without even meditating, Priam felt a closer connection to his Concept. It entrusted him with more secrets, and a light mist began to materialize in his soul space.

Priam sensed he stood on the precipice of a major breakthrough. As the doppelganger seethed with rage and Kazuki slowly raised Jasmine, Priam understood he couldn't continue holding his cards.

The tribes were arriving, rivals were plotting, the necro event raged, and Sumstreh kept a watchful eye on him. Enemies were plentiful, and he needed power now.

When you do something, might as well do it right.

With his decision made, Priam invoked the Soul Harmonization conferred by his draconic bloodline, selecting Mist once again.

[Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +10% (64%).

The Concept became even more familiar. It was as if Priam had shunned a fruit for years and was now rediscovering it. The sensation was highly pleasing. Without pausing, Priam opened a portal to Concepts Archipelago and retrieved a Token.

[Affinity Token - Tier 1 (20%).]

The Token he received when he killed his first Tier 2 transformed into silvery dust, penetrating his body.

[Mist - Concept] - Natural Affinity +20% (84%).

Priam's soul space quivered as the mist thickened. Simultaneously, the world resonated with the transformation of his soul. Fog began to fill the clearing, dispelling other Concepts. Symphony and Unity, the next stages of his Concept, no longer seemed impossible.

Hearing Jasmine cough behind him, Priam refocused on his captive and released his kinetic hold.

"Any last words?"

"If you spare me, I'm willing to make the same deal as Jasmine. You'll have two assassins at your beck and call," pleaded the doppelganger.

"... Jasmine, it's your call," said Priam. Two assassins were a good deal for him, but Jasmine wasn't his slave. She had the right to refuse to be cloned without her consent. Pragmatically, Priam wanted to improve their relationship. Better an excellent subordinate he could trust than two shadows gnawing at their leashes.

"I don't want a doppelganger. We'd end up killing each other," Jasmine stated.

Priam could understand the sentiment. His right hand trembled as he activated [There is no Heaven]. A quarter of his aether was absorbed and then transformed by the epic skill. A transparent, ultra-dense energy fluid traversed the meridians of his arm and hand before disappearing into the doppelganger's skull. In a final spasm, her body froze.

[Reactivation of Jasmine’s sub-system. Data collection…

Jasmine Kaldwin has triumphed over her quadruple Tribulation. Refusal to publish her Achievement.

Summary:

Ranking - Tier 0 Tribulations:
Sector - year: 4,463
Sector - decade: 18,652
Sector - century: 149,523
Sector - eon: 3,643,541,167
Sector - All time: REDACTED
Universe - year: 17,652

Analysis: After comparing Jasmine Kaldwin and Priam Azura's rankings, it appears that Elysium is where the majority of prodigies in the Seven Concepts Universe concentrate.

Jasmine Kaldwin has passed with flying colors her Tribulations, patching many weaknesses. Her affinity with the Shadow Concept now reaches 100%.]

Priam stood up before approaching Jasmine. He felt her emotions again, indicating that the sub-system had resumed its operation. His subordinate was suffering, her body and soul ravaged by time.

"Your Tribulations are over," Priam reassured her. "You can be proud, Shadow Sage."

The compliment made Jasmine smile.

"It's thanks to the memory and ties I got from my shadow. But I paid a high price; this body is a ruin."

Priam grimaced. A Homo Elysian had a much longer lifespan than an average human, but it wasn't infinite. Even the Sun Shop was powerless against aging — at least with his level of clearance.

"Can you modify her genes to fix that?" Kazuki asked. Behind him, Louis, Blueberry, Rose, and others had drawn closer, concerned. The deaths of Mirscella and Eiji were still fresh.

"... I don't think so," Priam replied. "It's not the purpose of [Primogenitor]. I might be able to manually create a new body from a cell, but it would take time. Even then, we'd need to transfer her soul."

With enough Potential, it might be possible, but Priam knew there was another problem. Because of [Homo Elysian Obsession], the aging of the body had impacted his subordinate's soul. More than her physical condition, it was the erosion of her soul that was killing Jasmine.

She shook her head. "I planned to use one of my rewards to rejuvenate. Unless you want all the Tribulation rewards?"

There was a worried glint in her blind eyes. Priam crouched in front of Jasmine.

"You're not my slave," he said softly. "Those are your rewards. And you shouldn’t worry, I just thought of something," he said, turning to the doppelganger's corpse. "We could transfer your soul into this body. It seems the same as yours."

"It has a Shadow Heart, so it's even better than mine," said Jasmine. "But how do we transfer my soul?"

Priam turned to Kazuki. "Could you take her to see Seth? I'd handle it myself, but I think it's better if I stay here for now..."

Kazuki frowned. He didn't like the necromancer much.

"... I can. Would he help us for free?"

"Against one of Jasmine's rewards."

"You would risk her life for a Shadow Heart?"

Priam shook his head. "For much more than that. A Homo Elysian's soul is linked to their body. They've been eroded by time, but Osiris should be able to reverse the trend by continually healing her body. Thanks to the mending process, she'll become aware of her soul..."

"... Unlocking Domain and Ace." Kazuki nodded.

"I hope. Plus, I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a Title for escaping death by aging or for reversing the process," Priam smiled. He was almost envious; [Ageless] was not yet in his Pokédex. "Of course, it's your decision," he said, turning to Jasmine.

The mummy gave a tired and wrinkled smile. "I'm going to need power if I want to slit Bastard's throat, so let’s do this."

"Bastard?"

Using their spiritual connection, Jasmine clarified. "The one who kidnapped Sphinx. He doesn't even deserve me uttering his name."

The idea was good and elicited a small laugh from Priam. It was better not to use Sumstreh's name in case Eve was spying on them.

Priam stood up. "So it's decided. I know you don't like Seth," he said to Kazuki. "But it would be a good first collaboration."

Kazuki exchanged a solemn look with Priam. Both knew the next collaboration would be to prepare an open battle against Sumstreh.

"Don't worry; I know how to make concessions to win a war," Kazuki said. "Keep one of your rewards ready in case there's a problem," he advised Jasmine. The young mummy nodded before grimacing.

"Might as well go now because I feel myself weakening," she sighed.

Kazuki gently took her in his arms and loaded her other body and leg into a micro-tornado.

"Protect the base," he told Priam.

"Come back soon, Jasmine!" Rose shouted. The other spectators joined in the goodbyes, and Priam smiled, feeling the assassin's surprise and then joy. She was pleased with her choices.

Before Jasmine left Oasis, Priam sent some instructions to her sub-system. Outside the territory of Log-a-rhythm, he wouldn't be able to monitor her anymore. Jasmine was starting to gain his trust, but he preferred to take precautions.

"Back to work, everyone!" Hyshana shouted to disperse the small crowd. "Sun points won't farm themselves!"

After encouraging his loved ones, Priam opened a portal to Concepts Archipelago. He needed to discuss matters with the phoenix prince. The enemies were closing in, and Priam wanted to be prepared.

It's time to check [Kinetic Control]’s upgrades and acquire some Merits.

*

Status:

PHYSICAL:
Strength 557
Constitution 860
Agility 552
Vitality 840
Perception 714

MENTAL:
Vivacity 505
Dexterity 587
Memory 385
Willpower 998
Charisma 615

META:
Meta-affinity 423
Meta-focus 350
Meta-endurance 299
Meta-perception 204
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 33

Potential: 7 004
Tier 0

Sun points: 56 363 (+149)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 2 hours 32 minutes 13 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 165 days 3 hours 5 minutes 26 seconds.

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