A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!

Chapter 141: The Empyreans

Despite losing one of them, the warriors held their own remarkably well. Priam assessed their skill at the level of gladiators from the thirty-fifth wave - too weak to face an Earl alone but powerful enough to be menacing in numbers.

The five guards worked as a cohesive unit, effectively protecting each other. Slashing, parrying, blocking, they formed a pentagon upon which waves of ants crashed. Behind them, the commander shouted orders from the edge of the forest.

Kazuki crawled up to Priam, his face concealed by his helmet. His mech, camouflaged to match the ground, made it nearly invisible despite its size. Priam focused on [Phantom] to observe the battle. Were they facing natives or men from one of his rivals?

"Their commander is hard to pin down," Kazuki whispered after a few seconds.

"Hmm?"

"He talks too much. At first, I thought he was incompetent, shouting multiple orders per second, but his soldiers listen." He paused, pointing to a man in distress. The ants launched a massive frontal assault, attempting to bury the poor guard under their numbers. The commander shouted a dozen orders in a matter of seconds, and the guards moved smoothly.

Breaking the pentagon, they let their comrade retreat briefly before attacking from both sides. Caught in a pincer, the ants perished quickly. Without wasting time, the men reformed their formation.

"He micro-manages his men," analyzed Kazuki. "It shows excellent tactical vision, shocking parallel thinking ability, and intensive training. He knows his men, and he's seen a battlefield. He'll be a formidable strategist if he unlocks a telepathic communication method."

Coming from the hoplite champion, the compliment was flattering.

"The commander and the guards don't pose a problem for me. I'm more concerned about whether they're part of a larger force. If so, friends or foes?" Priam murmured.

Kazuki shrugged. "Hard to say. They don't seem like natives. Their armor isn't suited for the forest. One of our rivals must have brought them along."

"I think the same. The question is: where are they?"

I dont know. What is the objective?

Priam pointed to a birch tree, white as milk and in bloom. "You see that luminescent tree? Its three flowers will turn into Passiflora. By consuming them, you gain charisma, willpower, and agility."

"Do you really need additional attributes?" Kazuki asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've already eaten three, so it must have lost its effectiveness in my case. But if I can sacrifice these fruits to Log-a-rhythm, it should yield Potential for it."

Priam hadn't mentioned his relatives, as they had to avoid triggering too many Tribulations. In Elysium, skills rose rapidly and the lack of attributes was not a problem.

"...You just want to get back at the ants."

"Among other things."

Kazuki smiled. "As long as it's useful for Log-a-rhythm. But I don't think these warriors would appreciate us grabbing shovels to unearth their due."

Priam observed the battle for a few more seconds. The commander shouted less, and the guards grew more confident. Despite their numbers, the ants were predictable and individually weak. The flying ants and the acid barrage had caught the men by surprise, but there wouldn't be more casualties. The colony would soon exhaust its members, and victory would go to the unknown group.

For some reason, that didn't sit well with Priam.

"I don't want to antagonize potential allies, but it would bother me to have come here for nothing," declared Priam.

"Do you want to attack?" Kazuki asked.

Priam remained silent. These strangers hadn't done anything to him. Was he ready to hurt or kill innocents - until proven otherwise - for a material resource he didn't really need?

"I'm not a murderer. Let's wait until the end of the battle and discuss afterward. If they're cool, we'll find an arrangement that suits everyone. If not..."

A smile began to form on the hoplite's lips before fading. He furrowed his brow.

"I just gained resistance to divination."

Priam narrowed his eyes. "Someone knows we're here."

Part of his attention began scanning the surroundings for a third group. The other part analyzed the situation. With [Weathered], the upgrade of [Veteran], Priam had facilities to develop his resistances. The fact that Kazuki leveled up and he didn't could mean only one thing.

"Someone targeted you because I'm quite resistant to divination." Someone who could be listening to us right now.

Priam and Kazuki exchanged a look - they weren't going to passively wait for an unknown plan to unfold. They needed to act. Identified, they could fight - provided they locate the opponent - flee, or pursue objectives. Priam was reluctant to flee just minutes into an expedition without even encountering an enemy.

"Plan P," he declared.

P for Pillage.

Priam leaped to his feet and activated [Mask]. The skill he obtained from Anne allowed him to conceal his information when identified and camouflage his appearance. A solid and dark aether mask covered his face, while his misty cloak turned dark gray. A color that heralded the storm.

Emerging from the bushes like a cannonball, Priam used [Kinetic Control] to reach the birch tree in less than a second. His sudden acceleration created a supersonic bang, alerting both ants and guards. Without wasting a moment on his audience, Priam grabbed the base of the trunk. Using Micro, he pulled. The ground rose slowly as Priam's vertebrae compressed. Damn.

"Hah tui!" the commander shouted. Probably an equivalent of "Halt there!"

Priam paid him no mind and released the birch tree. Physical strength wasn't his specialty. As dozens of ants rushed toward him, he activated his Domain. His sphere of authority appeared, partially enveloping the tree trunk. Priam activated [Kinetic Control], determined to uproot it.

Within a radius of ten meters, the ground exploded, revealing colossal roots. The birch tree effortlessly ascended, leaving the earth to float alongside Priam. Smiling, he felt energy coursing through his resilient meridians. He was still far from his limits.

Lifting the tree four meters above the ground, Priam opened a portal above and began feeding the foliage into it. Simultaneously, the ants organized an acid barrage against him. [Kinetic Control] froze the air within his Domain, successfully blocking the attacks.

Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 44

VIVA +2

DEXT +3

META(FOCUS) +4

Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 13

STR +1

Lowering his gaze, Priam understood the source of the ants' rage. The colony had dug hundreds of tunnels around the roots. By uprooting the tree, he had caused the tunnels to collapse. Thousands of angry ants stared at him. Another acid barrage arrived as the trunk began disappearing into his internal world.

Priam blocked the attacks before counterattacking.

With a wave of his hand, Domain compressed an airwave, and Priam projected it onto his enemies, using a third of his kinetic reserves.

Lvl Up: [Kinetic Control] lvl 45

VIVA +2

DEXT +3

META(FOCUS) +4

A white shockwave struck the ground in a flash. A ten-meter-radius crater formed, compacting the earth and crushing thousands of ants. The forest shook as the attack cracked the ground, creating five colossal crevices.

A secondary shockwave swept through the clearing, throwing ants in all directions and toppling the five guards who had distanced themselves. Trees fell, and Kazuki had to plant his spear in the ground to stabilize himself.

Oops. Too much power, Priam thought. The power of his kinetic cone was satisfying, considering the gratuitousness of this energy. His reserves were already replenishing as he absorbed his own energy to float in the air. Despite the amount of power channeled, his meridians had admirably withstood the burst.

Priam refocused on the tree that finished its ascent. Some roots bent to pass through the portal, which closed behind them. Ten seconds after his arrival, Priam had successfully captured the birch. And without a Master Ball.

Floating in the air, he prepared to join Kazuki as the remaining spectators tried to recover from the attack. As the enemy commander pointed at him, shouting, Kazuki's voice crackled in his earpiece. "My scan detects two people hidden in the forest behind the commander. My instinct tells me one of them is responsible for my level up."

"I'm going," Priam replied. "Stay hidden for now."

[Kinetic Control]. Slicing through the air, Priam flew over the surviving ants and dazed warriors. He passed over the commander, who watched him fly off without attacking. His helmet hid his face, but Priam was sure the man was fuming.

Forty meters into the forest, he spotted two figures jumping from a tree. Like a falcon, he dove towards them.

Cutting through the canopy, Priam caught up with the two fugitives. The moment his Domain touched them, he absorbed their kinetic energies. Now immobilized, Priam observed them, Promesse in hand. He was on his guard and at the slightest sign of suspicion, he would eliminate the threat.

Before him, floating in the air, were two young women with almost human appearances.

The first had a face covered in scars. Remnants of brutal and poorly treated lacerations, they gave her a warrior-like air. Her frightened expression told another story.

[Identification]

[Muyri] - A low-extraction Empyrean. Terrified.

Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 10

MEM +1

If I spoke her language, she'd tell me everything she knows, Priam thought.

He turned to the second woman. She was the opposite of the first. Her chiseled features projected a cold yet beautiful image. Her proud demeanor betrayed noble elegance and years of practice. Last but not least, her deep eyes were as enchanting as they were dangerous.

Despite her peasant clothes, she was the most beautiful woman Priam had ever seen. He immediately distrusted her, searching for a sign of mental manipulation. Nothing. Neither his Domain nor his instinct found any sign of manipulation. Was the woman naturally perfect? No, not a woman.

Slightly pointed ears, a similar but not identical musculature, and a kind of halo behind her head betrayed an inhuman origin.

Priam's draconic heart raced. His instinct whispered that these strangers' DNA and aether structure would bring him closer to an evolution of his race.

[Identification]

[Esme - Tier 0 - Viscount] - A Princess Empyrean. ?

She's the one who scryed Kazuki.

A princess... Esme's clothes were in poor condition, but Priam's eye caught quality thread. Her garment was made to mimic those of a peasant. Instantly, a plan formed in his mind. The two empyreans were undoubtedly with the guards.

And I've got their princess. In Priam's eyes, Esme had just turned into a pile of gold. Or the equivalent in this new universe.

But Priam's instincts told him there was more to her than that She shared a certain something with Kazuki and Dishnu. Suddenly, Priam recognized the scent. The princess was one of his rivals. Jackpot!

Esme was almost sure she would have broken into a sweat if she could move. After witnessing the First absorb a tree effortlessly while annihilating an ant colony, a foreboding feeling crept over her. Leading Muyri, she had tried to escape.

It took the First three seconds to catch up with them. Projecting his Supremacy, he easily immobilized them. A spear with a nascent mind in hand, he observed them for almost ten seconds, deciding their fate. At least, that was Esme's assumption. The black mask on his face prevented her from drawing precise conclusions about her rival.

Her thoughts shifted to her burning lungs. The First's immobilization prevented her from breathing, and Esme began to feel weak. Muyri must be in an even worse state.

Suddenly, the world lifted. Esme realized the First was releasing them. Her feet touched the ground, and the restraint that held them disappeared. Muyri collapsed, clutching his throat, struggling for breath. Despite her yearning lungs, Esme remained standing, attempting to project a noble image.

She shot a grateful look at her captor. "Thank you for sparing our lives," she declared, employing [Loaded Dice]. The epic skill altered probabilities, granting her an impossible chance. She had merely produced incomprehensible sounds, but by incredible luck, it corresponded to intelligible words in the First's language.

"Do you speak French?" her rival asked, a surprised note in his voice. Mentally noting the phrase in her grimoire, Esme's ability translated it for her. It's one of the perks of being an [Author]. He wants to know how I speak his language.

"I'm afraid not," she replied, tucking a silver lock behind her ear. "I manipulate probabilities while producing random sounds. I'm just lucky that these sounds happen to match your language."

Esme wasn't accustomed to explaining her skills to an opponent, but she wasn't foolish enough to lie.

"It's a dangerous power. Too dangerous," replied the masked man. His charismatic aura was overwhelming and his anonymity made him terrifying.

Esme felt herself growing pale. With her father sharing a similar power, it had never occurred to her that the First might feel threatened. Yet, he was right: in skilled and informed hands, the manipulation of probabilities held a terrifying potential.

Her luck advised her not to respond, and Esme understood why a second later.

Emerging from the bushes with a string of oaths, her brother and his guards arrived. Aydan froze upon seeing who stood beside his sister. The next moment, he removed his helmet, flushed with rage.

"You've stolen what's rightfully mine!"

Esme was almost disappointed not to witness her brother hurling insults at the First. However, even he wasn't foolish enough to offend such a powerful stranger. Aydan might be cruel, but he wasn't entirely foolish; he was, in fact, a military genius.

The First silently observed the newcomers before turning to Esme.

"Tell your guard that I won't harm you as long as he refrains from doing anything foolish," he said, waving his spear. Aydan's guards unsheathed their weapons in response.

Esme nearly burst into laughter. The First must have thought that, as a rival, she led the expedition. Better yet, he was asking her to translate his words. Aydan didn't even have the choice to refuse; a [Strategist] couldn't use a grimoire like an [Author]. She was his sole means of translation.

"Of course," she replied, turning to her brother. "The First is seeking an explanation. We were hunting on his territory."

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 399 (+1)

Constitution 662

Agility 404

Vitality 538

Perception 584

MENTAL:

Vivacity 329 (+4)

Dexterity 429 (+6)

Memory 134 (+1)

Willpower 648

Charisma 418

META:

Meta-affinity 336

Meta-focus 251 (+8)

Meta-endurance 185

Meta-perception 119

Meta-chance 216

Meta-authority 12

Potential: 562 (+8)

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 1 hour 29 minutes 26 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Four Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 176 days 2 hours 2 minutes 39 seconds.