Under the sinister glow of the Necromoon, Oasis thrived. Log-a-rhythm’s domain expanded as its Lord trained harder with every passing day. Fatigue and pain would have broken most men, but not Priam. The grass of the sanctuary could be soaked with his sweat, sometimes even his blood, but never his tears. He knew the cost of failure, a memory so sharp it was still hurting him.
Time slipped by, and the young warrior proved once again why he had been chosen as Death's Obsession. Neither suffering nor fear could sway him from his goal. He was the Juggernaut.
The wall of Tribulations stood tall, but Priam chose discipline to scale it. Competitive by nature, he had always prepared diligently for challenges… but never this hard. He couldn’t take a breath without thinking about his progress, his weaknesses, and how to overcome them. Priam had a goal, and he would do anything to reach it.
Unknowingly, his determination spread to the other residents of Oasis. The hoplites didn’t really need it, constantly driven by their generals, but the survival lull had softened the crafters. Tribulations didn’t seem so deadly when no one was dying—only Louis was still brooding over Mirscella's departure.
The stress of Priam, the immortal Champion capable of impossible feats, reignited their fears. Alain, Rose, and Myuri cut their breaks to the bare minimum their vitality allowed. Even Sphinx seemed affected. The child often followed Moonie on her hunts for the corrupted, claiming she wanted to befriend the wyrm, but Priam had caught her honing her gravity skill against the stronger ones. That turned out to be useful during the fourth Necro wave, which hit Oasis two weeks after Kazuki’s Tribulation.
The undead hordes gathered in numbers, yet it wasn’t enough. Jasmine and Kazuki obliterated the two Tier 3 commanders, while Priam defended half the wall alone. Whether it was a thousand or a million, the number of enemies didn’t matter against a Pyro Sage. With no boss to distract him, Priam was a weapon of mass destruction—utterly unstoppable.
The ongoing war reshaped the inhabitants of Oasis, forging them anew and strengthening their bonds. Nothing brought people together like a common enemy. A secondary consequence was the massive influx of Sun Points. After purchasing the resources needed for a memory trap, the rest were invested in Oasis' defenses. Priam had witnessed the devastation caused by the Tribulation of Dishnu, and he would be damned if he let his home get destroyed again.
Protective Barrier VI (250 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 25 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a strong Tier 0 Elysian Marquess. ACQUIRED
Protective Barrier VII (500 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 50 000 square meters and stopping attacks from a weak Tier 0 Elysian Duke. ACQUIRED
Necro Purification Ritual VI (250 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 25 000 square meters. ACQUIRED Necro Purification Ritual VII (500 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 50 000 square meters. ACQUIRED
Guardian of the Forest VI (250 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian's domain size to 25 000 square meters. ACQUIRED
Guardian of the Forest VII (500 000 points) - A ritual elevating the status of a Guardian of the Forest. Strengthens the symbiotic relationship between the two parties. Increases the Guardian's domain size to 50 000 square meters. ACQUIRED
Rampart VI (125 000 points) - Blueprint (half the cost of a straight improvement). ACQUIRED
Rampart VII (500 000 points) - Improvement. ACQUIRED
[Rampart VII - Legendary - Tier 0] - Created by Alain Azura, Rose Williams, Bertomne Gah’l, Lamnas Foen and improved by the Sun Shop.
A fortification a hundred and four meters long, five high, twenty deep, and three wide. The exterior is made of skill-augmented obsidian sand to absorb shockwaves. The heart is built with reinforced Tal Quercus wood, providing some flexibility to the structure.
Only the incessant assault of a Tier 0 Elysian Duke could damage this wall.
Active Enchantments:
Resilience (VII)
Solidity (VII)
Boundary (VII)
Relay - Barrier (VII)
With these upgrades, Oasis now covered five hectares, a circle with nearly a hundred and thirty meters of radius. The protective barrier, powered by Log-a-rhythm, stretched across the sky, casting a dim glow over the domain at night. To ensure its optimal functioning, investments were made in the Necro Purification Ritual and the Guardian of the Forest. There was no point expanding if the majority of the land was ravaged by the Necromoon’s curse. 𝘙𝘈Ｎ𝖔ᛒЁ𝐬
The newly protected trees shared their Potential with the Tal Quercus, allowing Priam to purchase Protection IV and Abundance - Aether III. The former reinforced Log-a-rhythm’s wood holistically, which proved useful in strengthening the rampart. The latter was welcome as more ambient energy accelerated everyone’s progress.
Thus, the environment was as optimal as possible for training. In a world as perilous as Elysium, Oasis truly lived up to its name.
Under the sanguine light of the Necromoon, the forest had become a place of decay. Photosynthesis no longer worked, and the trees shed their leaves, which now formed a thick carpet, hiding fallen branches and corpses beneath them.
In a forgotten valley, a young man moved with caution. Every time his feet sank into the debris, he prayed he wouldn’t trigger a trap. Without his Domain to scan the ground, he felt blind. The caw of a crow echoed through the underbrush, and he resumed his path, focusing on the footwork technique his addon had recorded.
Priam’s gait was almost hypnotic, each step as slow as it was fluid, his movements cautious yet smooth. There was a cryptic rhythm to it, a natural grace that called to mind a chameleon. Thanks to the raw lizard heart he was gifted by Ophis during the erased timeline, Priam recognized the supernatural aspect of his movements.
If runes were patterns that resonated with the aether to alter reality, his current walk was no different. It must have taken the Snaherts centuries to perfect these steps, and now Priam was reaping the benefits for free. Maybe it was for the best—at least Ophis wouldn’t end up possessed by the shaman’s heart in this timeline. Honestly, he should thank me for conning him, Priam smirked.
The thought broke his concentration, and a thin branch cracked under his foot. Five hundred meters ahead, his prey froze. The specter unfurled its aura, its nearly blind eyes scanning the woods for any sign of a soul.
Rather than stop, Priam continued forward, using his toes to shift a twig that was in his way. He swayed gently, mimicking the motion of a drunk chameleon. The undead Tier 3 turned in his direction. By all rights, Priam should have been spotted, but no explosion disturbed the eerie calm of the haunted forest.
The Snaherts’ bizarre walking technique worked. Priam blended into the environment. Sharper eyes might have uncovered the trick, but the specter mainly relied on its spiritual vision. Seeing no soul or Domain, it strained to hear. Priam stopped his hearts, letting [Kinetic Control] pump blood through his veins. Now, he was invisible to all of his adversary’s senses. With an annoyed grunt, the corrupted resumed its patrol.
The hunter continued his stalk.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Priam was almost within arm’s reach of the specter’s nebulous cloak. The cloth floated despite the absence of any breeze, but Priam had seen stranger things. As he prepared to take another step, a shadowed hand gripped his shoulder. Suppressing his surprise, Priam shifted his body, continuing his strange dance. For the chameleon technique to work, he had to keep moving.
“If you step into his Domain, he’ll spot you,” whispered a shadow.
The hunt was over, now came the execution. Without a word, Priam connected his soul to the last Concept he had unlocked. He had long wondered why he had such an affinity for Breath, and the reason became clear when he accepted the Concept a few days ago.
Breath was under the jurisdiction of Soul, one of the Seven Great Concepts. Sphinx, whose System HUD was in ancient Greek, read the word ψυχή for the Tier 9 Concept. Translated to English, that meant both soul and breath. Thus, Breath was tied to [He Who Eludes Death] . Each of Priam’s deaths had stolen his breath, and each resurrection had returned it. This cycle had cultivated his affinity until he became a sage of a Concept he hadn’t even chosen... until quite recently.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Controlling too many Concepts at Tier 0 was dangerous. They could spontaneously fuse if one weren’t careful—sometimes, all it took was a single moment of insight. The Phoenix Prince didn’t offer much more than a warning, but Priam understood: if he unlocked a Tier 2 Concept too soon, he would be forced to Tier Up prematurely, missing out on the remaining resources at Tier 0. That was a sacrifice he wasn’t willing to make.
Because of that, Priam had resisted adding a third Concept to his arsenal for a long time. After all, it would be his last one at Tier 0, as managing four Concepts at once wasn’t an option.
“Is there really that big of a difference between controlling two Concepts or three?” Jasmine had asked.
“Think of it like mixing pairs of colors,” Priam explained. “With two colors, you can at most create a third. With three colors, you’ve got three possible pairs, which means three new colors. Four colors? You’re looking at six different pairs or new colors. Each color is a Concept. With my dual trains of thought and my addon, I can handle three Concepts at once, but no more.”
From what his mentor had told him, it was already impressive. Most people struggled to awaken even one at Tier 0.
When it came time to choose his final Concept, Priam had wavered between Light and Breath. In the end, he had gone with Breath, worried that he might one day face an opponent immune to energy-based attacks.
Impossible to replace [Useless Sage] with [Breath Sage] .
His new Concept was more utilitarian than the first two. Now able to manipulate both his physical and metaphysical breath, Priam had learned to conceal his vitality and soul from the eyes of the corrupted. This had sparked ideas for unlocking the ideal upgrade for [Phantom] . A few days later, he was tracking a corrupted Tier 3 with that very goal in mind.
The specter hovered above the fallen leaves when Priam tried a new move. The world around him shifted to monochrome, and within the shades of gray, he spotted a white flame at the specter’s core. Through Breath, Priam wrapped his will around the wisp-like spark, squeezing it with his intent. The Tier 3’s soul quivered before a scream of pure rage shattered the silence.
As the forest stirred, Priam simply sighed. His mentor had warned him that snuffing out another being’s vital flame would be next to impossible without fusing Breath and Pyro. Even then, it would take an overwhelming soul or will to crush the enemy’s essence. It was a distant goal, but Priam wasn’t discouraged. This power was too damn cool not to chase.
“Priam!”
The Tier 3 specter frantically searched the surroundings, trying to locate its hidden assailant. Breath and [Ciphered Record] masked Priam’s magical and spiritual signature, but even a creature this blind would eventually catch on to his poor stealth technique.
Time to stop playing around.
Calling on his Concept again, Priam filled his draconic lungs. He exchanged mental endurance for a quick charge with his new Concept, and his aether for Pyro’s flames, crafting a Dragon’s Breath in the blink of an eye. His golden meridians trembled under the intense energy flow, but held firm. That was the beauty of an ideal epic resistance.
The specter turned in his direction, but it was too late.
A beam of plasma ripped through the Tier 3 and annihilated the forest behind it. Trees vaporized across a hundred-meter stretch, and the beam pierced straight through a nearby hill. The ambient temperature spiked, and the dead leaves on the ground ignited spontaneously. For a brief moment, night turned into day, the Breath’s light so blinding it seemed like the sun had returned. The destruction matched the resources poured into the attack.
The devastation finally ceased when Priam closed his mouth. His mist-like eyes scanned the apocalyptic landscape before a grimace twisted his face.
“Fuck, the core’s melted.”
“What did you expect?” Jasmine grumbled, stepping out of the shadows. “A draconic breath backed by two Concepts—one boosted by your phoenix bloodline—and powered by stats that are off the charts? I don’t see how a Tier 0 attack could be stronger.”
“You’re lacking in imagination,” Priam shot back with a grin. “Once at Unity with both Pyro and Breath, plus with a completed Heavenly Dragon physique, we’ll be talking. Hell, I could even use [Ace] to mutate my lungs with the Breath Concept…”
“Focus on your ideal upgrade first,” Jasmine cut him off, knowing Priam too well. He was brilliant, but he had a habit of chasing too many goals at once. “Did you get it?”
Priam’s smile widened.
“Yup.”
Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 27, …, 40
AGI +42
Jasmine was an unconventional teacher, but her unorthodoxmethods worked. For the past two weeks, they had spent every night playing tag in the middle of a haunted forest, and it had paid off. Priam had learned a lot about stealth while having fun. He was almost certain that it sped up his progress.
[Phantom - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
Temporarily deceive the perception of a Tier 4. Master the Chameleon’s legacy movement technique. Devour a Tier 2 Chameleon’s heart. Absorb the essence of a Tier 4 Ghost. Mask your spiritual breath. Stalk a Noble of a higher rank than yours for an hour. Defeat a Tier 3 with a surprise attack. Please select five prerequisites for the ideal upgrade.
Priam had secured the first three prerequisites thanks to a deal with the Snaherts during the erased timeline. Ophis had tipped him off about the last two, but it was up to Priam to unlock them himself. The fifth one had been tricky, until Jasmine remembered that Osiris was now a Prince. Priam was pretty sure he and Seth had figured out a way to kill the Necro Envoy possessing Mirscella. How had they managed it? Should he take precautions? These questions were tricky. Anyway, spying on the teen for an hour checked off the requirement.
With Breath unlocked, five prerequisites had been fulfilled and [Phantom] had offered an upgrade. Priam had turned it down. The Snaherts’ method worked, but it would have led to an upgrade focused on chameleon-style camouflage. That might have been perfect for a clan of snakes, but it wasn’t Priam’s path. Inspired by the prerequisites he knew, he had bought the essence of a Tier 4 ghost at the Auctions and devoured it. The stunt had knocked him out for several hours, until [Spirit Resistance] had saved him. It wasn’t the only resistance that had leveled up over the past two weeks.
Lvl Up: [Spirit Resistance] lvl 20, 21, 22, 23
WILL +12
Tonight, he had completed the final task: assassinating a Tier 3. As elusive as a ghost, as silent as held breath, and as deadly as a hidden blade—this was the path Priam had chosen for [Stealth] to evolve.
“Too bad about that chameleon movement technique,” Jasmine sighed.
“I’m sure it’ll come in handy for upgrading [Art of Movement] .”
“No, I meant it was funny watching you walk like that.”
“Fuck you,” Priam shot back, grinning as he confirmed his choices.
[Phantom - Rare] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Prerequisites met:
Temporarily deceive the perception of a Tier 4. Absorb the essence of a Tier 4 Ghost. Mask your spiritual breath. Stalk a Noble of a higher rank than yours for one hour. Defeat a Tier 3 with a surprise attack. Ideal Upgrade unlocked :
[Nature of the Assassin - Epic] - A stealthy apparition, so elusive that your enemies doubt your presence until their last breath. Potential Cost: 320
“I like [Phantom] better,” Priam muttered. Mama Apo had told him he could rename his skills, and he saw no reason to change them with every upgrade.
Unless the new name was seriously cool.
You have selected the skill [Phantom - Epic] .
POT -320
[Phantom - Epic] - The child knows which stair step creaks. The thief slips into homes under the cover of night. The anonymous person hides among the crowd. For them, stealth is a shield. For the assassin, it’s a weapon. A hunter without a pulse or breath, your prey has no way of knowing you’re coming. Even if they did, would it make a difference?
In many ways, you are a ghost. This skill helps you evade your enemies' perception until you can strike the first blow.
This skill won't help you ghost your mother. You have twenty-six missed calls.
AGI +6
DEXT +3
“Now what?” Jasmine asked, decapitating a corrupted creature dumb enough to challenge her.
“I think I just figured out a way to temper my first resistance,” Priam said, scanning his new skill description. “Time to start dying again.”
[Tribulation] : Five Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 137 days 8 hours 1 minutes 12 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 600 / 6 attributes > 900 / 1 attribute > 1 200
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next!
/ANovelConcept