Reacting to his thoughts, Priam's draconic instinct stirred. A pessimistic feeling washed over him. If he attacked with a Breath, the Shaman would survive. Then, the entire village would pursue him into the forest. Not a good idea.
Priam was confident in his ability to outmaneuver his enemies in the woods. Unfortunately, once the alarm was raised, the rest of his quest would become more challenging. His pyromaniac side itched to unleash an ultra-powerful attack, but Priam didn't want to be controlled by his instincts. The mission took precedence.
With regret, he temporarily set aside that option. Rationally, Priam knew it was better to face the boss without its minions. If he had to eliminate the weaker warriors first, assassination was a good idea.
Surveying the village with a glance, Priam retraced his steps. The first to die would be the sentinels. Having encountered two sentry groups while advancing toward the village, Priam was reasonably sure there was a two-line security perimeter. Might as well start there.
Three hundred meters further on, Priam stopped at the location of the first skulc he had killed. Mentally, he conjured a map of the surroundings and drew a circle centered on the village, passing through his current position. There was a good chance this circle corresponded to the first guard perimeter.
[First perimeter around Skulc village: approximately 4,000 meters (distance to the village center: 400 meters).]
Avoiding fir trees and focusing on [Phantom] and [Art of Movement] , Priam began to follow the circle clockwise. Less than fifty meters later, he spotted a new sentry.
Immobile and lightly covered by a snowy powder, the skulc looked in the opposite direction of the village. Priam was on its left, concealed behind the thick branches of a fir tree. His goal was to assassinate the target without it realizing.
[Moon Mist] . Concentrating on his skill, Priam started to summon a bit of water vapor. Its aether consumption should have been significant - after all, water vapor was only a component of mist - but Priam was in Harmony with the concept of mist. This reduced his creation costs by ten.
Water vapor materialized at his fingertips. In the form of gas, pure water was invisible. The white color of clouds or mist actually came from micro droplets of liquid water that absorbed and then scattered almost all of the sun's white light.Only his Domain and mist concept allowed Priam to easily detect his invisible mist. Using [Mist Moon] , he began to control it, creating knots and shapes. A few seconds later, Priam smiled. Despite its high cost, he could easily manipulate the water vapor.
His gaze shifted to the lookout. The first skulc had spotted his invisible mist at ten meters. Either the warrior had an exceptional Domain, or Priam had made a mistake. The second option seemed more probable.
Gently, Priam braided his water vapor like a cable before making it crawl toward his opponent. Outside his Domain, only his skill and affinity with the mist concept still allowed Priam to detect his own creation.
The thread continued its path until it was less than ten meters from the sentry. Instantly, the skulc turned towards the attack, drawing its sword. Showing its teeth, it leaped. Its weapon sliced through the snow and the mist thread.
Twenty meters away, Priam squinted. The skulc had easily detected the presence of his mist - while it was outside its field of vision - but not its nature. If it had understood it was mist, it wouldn't have tried to cut it. Only a Roman emperor could be foolish enough to slash water.
The skulc raised its head, surprised. The next moment, its gaze followed the mist thread. It looked in Priam's direction without seeing him and began to walk along the invisible cable.
Meanwhile, Priam tried to understand how the monster could detect his attack. If it can't see the light... Aether? That was the only possible explanation.
At fifteen meters from Priam, the skulc suddenly raised its chin. Its eyes fixed on Priam's silhouette, and it opened its mouth. A fraction of a second later, thirty centimeters of Promesse’s steel silenced it forever.
Priam hastily buried the corpse before continuing. If skulcs could see the aether controlling his mist, that was problematic. It meant his mist would be visible to most of his enemies. His dreams of assassination were crumbling.
Thoughtful, Priam stopped fifty meters further. An immaculate skulc stood forty meters ahead. No snow on it. It had arrived recently. The village organized a rotation of its sentinels. It seemed obvious, but it was troublesome for Priam. As he eliminated his enemies, one of the replacements would eventually notice.
A problem for my future self.
For now, Priam wanted to create invisible mist. He had an idea.
[Aether Perception] allowed him to detect nearby aether. It was a skill Priam always kept active. The higher its level, the greater its angular resolution and the longer its range. Priam was pretty sure his skill hid a secret.
Using [Aether Manipulation] , he tried to redirect a tiny part of his aether into the meridians in his eyes. Without [Human Anatomy] , he would never have attempted the experiment. Fortunately, the skill allowed him to highlight his meridians. Rather than manipulating aether directly, risking harm to his eyes, Priam chose to create a dam at a crossroads.
His meridians formed a real labyrinth in his body. Mentally, Priam found a node, a crossroads of meridians at the level of his sinuses. There, a pair of channels went up towards his ears, another towards his eyes, and two paths descended into his nose. Priam partially blocked one of the latter, redistributing the excess into his ears, eyes, and right nostril.
The next moment, the world gained new colors as [Aether Perception] absorbed the excess aether. Bingo , Priam smiled.
He slightly increased the amount of aether redirected to his eyes, and the world gained even more clarity. The evidence was there: [Aether Perception] could be boosted. The more aether Priam allocated to his sight, the better it perceived aether.
His meticulous manipulation of his aether was rewarded.
Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 20
META (PERC) +1
META (AFFI) +1
META (FOCUS) +1
[Aether Manipulation] has reached level 20. As a rare skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options:
[Internal] - Increases your ability to manipulate aether within your body. Slightly improves your internal skills. POT -30
[External] - Increases your ability to manipulate aether outside your body. Slightly improves your external skills. POT -30
[Nature] - Reduces losses when your aether changes affinity. POT -30
Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 23
META (PERC) +3
You have selected [Internal] .
POT -30
The question didn't even arise. Priam intended to use Heavenly Dragon, his temperance method, soon. [Internal] was the most suitable enhancement for reforging his meridians. That was not to mention that most of his skills were resistances. This option made them more effective.
[External] would have helped him with the manipulation of [Moon Mist] and [Nature] would have given wings to [Kinetic Control] , but Priam knew his priorities.
Reaching out, he summoned his mist again. A moment later, a knot of invisible mist lazily levitated above his hand. Despite the transparent nature of his mist, Priam could see the aether composing it perfectly, thanks to the boost from [Aether Perception] .
He now knew how the skulc had spotted him. But how to change that? Busy with this new problem, Priam lost concentration for a fraction of a second. [Aether Manipulation] blocked the meridians leading to his nose, increasing the volume of aether sent into the tiny meridians covering his eyes. Some burst, and the world lost its colors.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Only Micro prevented Priam from screaming.
His eye sockets boiled as a terrifying power stirred in its sleep. The pain was so intense that Priam hesitated to rip out his eyeballs before regenerating them. Reason stopped him. A battle was approaching, and he would need all his abilities. Blind, Priam focused on his Domain to ward off an attack.
The pain began to diminish as [Healing Meridians] and his vitality erased the damage. Gradually, his vision returned as his meridians reconnected.
It took almost three minutes before Priam stood up again. At some point, the pain had made him fall to his knees. Fortunately, the sound of the snow wasn't loud enough to alert the skulc lookout.
Taking stock of the situation, Priam realized he had almost activated Hecate New Moon manually. The System had hidden something in his eyes. Apparently, his eye meridians were already under pressure due to the mutation and couldn't support much more aether. Let’s hope Heavenly Dragon will change that...
His temperance method had to optimize his meridians and strengthen them. If that was the case, could it allow him to use his mythical mutation?
Such questions could wait.
Still trembling, he refocused on his mist. Slowly, he guided a bit of aether into his eyes again to boost his perception. His invisible mist appeared as a golden cloud in his aether sight. Against the white background of the snowy carpet, it was noticeable.
He had to find a way to fix this.
Priam then connected to [Moon Mist] . Thanks to the Tier 1 of his Merit Tree - The Mist hides you. You are one of its own, Mistwalker - the mist was supposed to be able to hide him. From there, one could think that mist was a stealthy concept. At least, that was Priam's feeling.
An idea born partly from his closeness to the mist.
[Mist - Concept] - You have touched on a minor Concept.
Affinity - Your connection now allows you to capture certain truths about Mist.
Harmony - The source of aether is infinite. Allows you to use Aether Mist while expending more energy. Cost [Moon Mist] x10.
His affinity with the mist allowed him to better understand it. If his instinct told him it was possible, then it was. Always linked to his skill, Priam took the time to reflect on his mist. Knowledge was the key.
This phenomenon was a cluster of fine droplets, ice crystals, and water vapor that sometimes stuck around microscopic particles. A natural aerosol of water droplets… and more. Depending on visibility and language, it could be called mist or fog.
However, the mist was more than a physical phenomenon. Its ability to conceal events, disappearances, or monsters was legendary, and used in many tales. The Mist Concept took that into account.
What particularly interested Priam was the beginning and end of the phenomenon. Its appearance, like its disappearance, was gradual. Mist arrived and departed unnoticed. It was in its nature.
Clutching onto this idea, Priam connected to his concept. His soul touched the representation the universe had of mist and exchanged with it. He shared his thoughts, and the Concept shared back. Suddenly, something in his mind clicked into place. Priam smiled, receiving a sort of epiphany.
Raising his hand, he commanded [Moon Mist] to create a nascent mist. It was still just a possibility, as present as absent. The mist would be and was simultaneously.
According to [Aether Perception] , there was nothing above his hand. According to [Moon Mist] and Domain, there was something.
Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 50,51,52
PERC +12
CHAR +6
META (AFFI) +9
Priam smiled. He could feel their connection and manipulate it, but yet, it didn't exist yet. However, he had to act quickly. This state, reminiscent of Schrödinger's cat thought experiment, was unstable. The mist would rise, and every second it was prevented, Priam felt tension building up.
Without wasting a moment, he sent his mist towards the skulc. Twenty meters. Fifteen meters. Ten meters.
Priam held his breath.
Five meters. The skulc continued to look straight ahead.
The mist stopped two meters behind the sentry. It was unlikely that it had unlocked Domain, but Priam didn't want to take any risks.
Summoning Promesse, he rode the mist.
[Unrelenting Thrust] .
Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 3
AGI +3
The spear penetrated the back of the skulc's skull, instantly ending its life. Without wasting time, Priam buried the corpse under a layer of snow and set off again.
Lvl Up: [Aether Perception] lvl 24
META (PERC) +3
Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 21
META (PERC) +1
META (AFFI) +1
META (FOCUS) +1
Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 4,5
AGI +6
The skulc sentinels were strategically positioned every fifty meters. A quick calculation predicted seventy-eight watchers along the initial perimeter. Priam dispatched seventy-six of them within thirty-four minutes. The last one had met its demise before his arrival.
Observing the absence of wounds, Priam's thoughts immediately turned to Kazuki's wind control. According to [Diagnostic] , the hoplite had suffocated his adversary. The skulc had perished on the spot, and Priam noted no signs of struggle. Either the skulcs had an unknown weakness, or Kazuki had more than one trick up his sleeve.
Without wasting a moment, Priam approached the second guard perimeter. Situated three hundred and fifty meters from the village center, it spanned approximately three thousand five hundred meters in circumference, as per his add-on. The key difference from the initial perimeter was that the skulcs now patrolled in pairs. Meaning twice the potential , Priam smirked.
He swiftly identified the first duo and advanced. Through numerous trials, Priam had deduced that he could physically approach the skulcs within fifteen meters. Closer than that, and the creatures would detect him. Each level of [Phantom] reduced this distance.
As before, the duo faced away from the village. Priam circled around them to position himself within their blind spots. Invoking Promesse, he halted twenty meters from his adversaries.
In the green-and-white winter scene, the hunter watched his prey.
The green skulc perched atop the green fir felt nothing as the ice dart penetrated its cerebellum. Simultaneously, Priam leaped toward his second foe. Breaching the fifteen-meter threshold triggered the skulc's auditory senses. Catching wind of Priam's presence, the creature began to pivot in the snow.
Seizing the initiative, Priam unleashed [Battle Footwork] . An aether thread snapped like a stretched elastic band, distorting Priam's form under the acceleration. Promesse delivered a fatal blow to the skulc before it could complete its half-turn.
With a swift motion, Priam retrieved Promesse from the fallen foe's ribcage and flung it backward. The fall of the first corpse ended on the spear’s tip rather than in the snow where it would have created a cloud. Priam listened intently while a few drops of blood reddened the white snow.
Silence.
Satisfied, he swiftly buried the two lifeless bodies before proceeding to the next duo. His slaughter persisted for nearly a quarter of an hour. As he buried the twenty-seventh pair, a distant horn sounded. After losing a hundred and thirty-one of their brethren, the skulcs had finally detected the threat.
Priam grinned, his earlier ease giving way to a more expected challenge. I was beginning to worry. When it's too easy, there's a catch.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 399
Constitution 662
Agility 422 (+14)
Vitality 538
Perception 614 (+14)
MENTAL:
Vivacity 338
Dexterity 434
Memory 139
Willpower 657
Charisma 437 (+10)
META:
Meta-affinity 349 (+13)
Meta-focus 257 (+2)
Meta-endurance 185
Meta-perception 128 (+9)
Meta-chance 216
Meta-authority 15
Potential: 587 (-7)
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.
[Tribulation] : Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 175 days 21 hours 33 minutes 17 seconds.