Chapter 215: Second Wave - Carnage

[Temporary Boost:
1 509 Corrupted (T0 - common) defeated.
71 Corrupted (T0 - Baron) defeated.
4 Corrupted (T0 - Viscount) defeated.
260 Corrupted (T1 - common) defeated.
13 Corrupted (T1 - Baron) defeated.

(PHY +500%; MENT+250%)
Temporary maximum attributes reached.

Conquest Timer: 4 min 59s
Aether Reserve: 391/391]

Wielding his Conquest Mist, Priam decimated the soldiers of Necromoon. The fusion of his Concept and Aura was so terrifying that no corrupted creature had yet breached his section of the rampart. The bones and decaying bodies piled up, forming a gruesome barrier several meters high that impeded the advance of the undead. Yet, despite the carnage, the reserves of the Necromoon seemed limitless. In less than an hour, the corrupted would reach the top of the rampart by climbing over the corpses...

Minutes into the battle, adrenaline surged and Priam took stock of the situation. Sun Points accumulated rapidly but his mental endurance was put to the test. This couldn't continue.

Charisma enabled Priam to strengthen and control his Conquest Aura. The qualitative transformation brought about by the attribute's first threshold had allowed him to link his Aura and Concepts, infusing his mist with a destructive quality. His Conquest Mist didn't directly destroy the corrupted but corroded the aethereal skeleton that allowed them to move. Moreover, it dissipated the Necro Concept that animated these creatures.

Priam only needed to project a thick fog to harvest the unlife from the attackers.

Given the number of corpses on the ground and his Sun Points, the technique was effective. However, a slight headache indicated its cost. Each time his Aura triumphed over corruption, his mental stamina was depleted.  At this rate, I'll be exhausted in less than twenty minutes.

A glance toward the horizon told Priam that it wouldn't suffice. The verdant and brown canopy stretched for kilometers before hills obscured the view. As far as his enhanced eyes could see, nightmarish shapes were converging on Oasis. The battle was far from over.

" The Necro Envoy isn't planning to give us a chance ," he said into his microphone. The one who had stolen Mirscella's body had planned to raze Oasis to the ground without giving them the slightest hope.

" Don't you want to send Jasmine to find her? It won't end until the Tier 3s destroy her ," Hyshana replied.

Priam grimaced, looking to his right. Between Louis and Blueberry, Jasmine was wreaking havoc among the corrupted ranks. She used her Shadow Concept to drown the creatures in their own shadows and hurled solid shadow projectiles at the assailants. Occasionally, the young woman teleported behind a minor necro Noble to swiftly decapitate it. Against her, the Necromoon’s puppets seemed powerless.

Jasmine danced a ballet as beautiful as it was deadly. You go, girl!  Priam smiled.

The presence of his subordinate allowed Louis and Blueberry, two close combat specialists, to hold their portion of the rampart. Pr iam had seen the old man kill enemies by spitting, but there were more enemies present than drops of water in the martial artist's body.

" Impossible. Without Jasmine, a section of the rampart will collapse ," he reluctantly replied.

" That leaves only one possibility. The protective dome will reform in about twenty minutes. The Necro Envoy will reveal herself to destroy it, and our new friends will have a window of opportunity ," Hyshana replied. A loud bang and a flash of light indicated that the hoplite was doing more than her part.

" Let’s do that. "

To avoid disturbing his ally, Priam cut the communication. He felt capable of holding out for twenty minutes. With the attribute boost granted by  [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] , he even felt capable of dispatching each corrupted creature with his spear. Of course, it was a terrible idea, but the Legendary Title transformed Priam into a true Raid Boss.

The gap between him and the necro soldiers was so vast that Priam didn't receive any level-up notifications. I'm not learning anything new here...

As the bright, noisy, and foul-smelling environment overwhelmed his senses, Priam recalled Jasmine's techniques. His rival was honing her skills in battle, and he decided to follow suit.

Using his draconic vivacity, Priam created two parallel streams of thought. One took control of his Conquest Mist, annihilating enemies while delving into the Mist Concept. With his perfect affinity and the tension created by the conflict, Unity was within reach. Briefly spending his Potential, Priam realized he could progress rapidly by using [Moon Mist]  to control his Concept.

Another part of his attention focused on other avenues of improvement. His recent duel with Eleha had proven that he was far from invincible. His offensive capabilities had been disappointing, as had his mobility. Priam briefly considered working on Micro and Spear Mastery before dismissing those options. Kazuki possessed Micro II and was half-step into Spear Mastery II, yet Eleha had still bested him.

What I need is raw power.

Formulating this thought, an obvious solution presented itself: he needed a Legendary skill.

Now that his meridians were solid, Priam could focus on [Kinetic Control] . When he had immobilized Eleha, a Tier 3, the absorbed energy had ruptured his meridians. At the same time, the feat had updated his available upgrades.

[Kinetic Control]  has reached level 60, its maximum level as an Epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Three upgrades are available:

[Kinetic Domination - Legendary] -  Prerequisites: Domain, [Physique - Forces] , [Physique - Energies], [Adaptive Golden Meridians].
You know about subtle kinetic applications but prefer power. Shock and velocity become your main weapons. You sow great destruction on the battlefield. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 360.

Priam had finally unlocked a high upgrade and felt close to the ideal upgrade. His body was ready to unleash the power of an ideal Legendary skill. Upon rereading the description, Priam understood that he still lacked two things: a complete understanding of [Kinetic Control]  and better mastery of kinetic energy on a microscopic scale—in other words, thermal energy.

The best way to achieve this was to access Unity with Pyro... and become a Sage. Casting a glance at the sea of corrupted creatures, Priam grimaced. My flames will make the undead even more berserk...

Priam could withstand a more brutal assault, but his comrades couldn't. Could he practice with his Concept without creating flames? It seemed ridiculous at first glance, but his instinct whispered that a different kind of training would yield new answers.

Summoning Promesse, Priam observed its nearly white metal tip before activating his kinetic skill. The particles comprising the alloy resisted before beginning to move, commanded by Domain, Pyro, and [Kinetic Control] .

Soon, Promesse's tip began to heat up. Microscopic kinetic activity meant thermal agitation and thus heat.

Through conduction, the metal warmed the gas upon contact. The ambient temperature rose through convection, and soon the hot air shimmered, creating a visual distortion that inspired Priam.

The silence that fell over the battlefield broke his concentration. Though not a flame, Promesse's overheated a nd bright tip seemed to stoke the hatred of the corrupted creatures. Heat and light were eternally beyond the reach of Necromoon's servants, and they detested them.

A true wave of enraged monsters rushed into his mist, and Priam decided to test Promesse's piercing ability.

Raising his arm, he hurled his spear and accelerated it with his kinetic skill. Like a cannonball, the weapon broke the sound barrier and exploded a dozen enemies before impaling the claws of a necromantic fox. Before the creature could even dodge, Promesse vaporized its flesh, pierced its bones, and shattered its skull.

Event:   Necromoon .

Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 1 - Baron) - Sun point +100

Lvl Up: [Spear Throw] lvl 26, 27
DEXT +6

Concealed by the animal's decomposed guts, Promesse ceased to incite the hatred of the corrupted. With a gesture of his hand, Priam retrieved his bound weapon. As the weapon emerged from the mist beside him, he pondered.

What is Pyro? A superior, magical, inherited fire. Let's start with the basics:  what is fire?

A flame was characterized by the release of heat and light during an exothermic reaction. Flexing Pyro, Priam heated Promesse again, provoking the corrupted creatures. If my enemies can't tell the difference between this and a flame, why should I?

Promesse's tip heated the air and illuminated the world. When he connected this phenomenon to Pyro, Priam's soul trembled. A new facet of the Concept revealed itself to him.

Sensing the epiphany approaching, Priam decided to make the most of it. He opened his Potential and leaped from the rampart.

For a moment, the screams of the corrupted ceased. Even in death, their instincts whispered to fear. Fire was   dangerous .

And Priam was fire  incarnate.

*

POT -739

[Pyro - Concept]  - The fragment of a shattered Concept from an Eighth Throne Candidate. Let the failure of its creator be your stepping stone.

You still master the Fire Concept.
Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Pyro and manipulate it.

Harmony - Allows you to infuse your aether into your flames to increase their tenacity. Nothing can withstand your flames. NEW.

Twenty minutes later, Priam smiled. He had left the rampart long ago, drawing the corrupted creatures to him and alleviating the pressure on the defenders. Boosted by [Horseman of the Apocalypse - Conquest] , the young warrior marched along Oasis’ border, repelling a large part of the necromantic wave single-handedly.

Like a maestro, Priam guided the mist with his left hand and Promesse with his right. The spear of light twirled around him, slicing, piercing, perforating, cutting, and decapitating his enemies. In his wake, the Champion of Humanity left carnage.

Suddenly, a deceased wildcat leaped toward him. His add-on had spotted the Tier 2 long ago. For a few minutes, the Necro Envoy had been sending more powerful creatures to test Priam.

The undead cat dodged Promesse with a skill and entered Priam's Domain, claws bared. This sealed its fate. The sphere of authority fought against the creature's natural defense for a fraction of a second. Without Supremacies to protect it and facing Priam's boosted will—the attribute exceeded three thousand five hundred—the Tier 2's resistance was overwhelmed.

The corrupted feline’s body began to lose speed, as if sinking into quicksand. [Kinetic Control]  absorbed the target’s kinetic energy, immobilizing it before stealing its heat. The body temperature plummeted until all its fluids turned solid. Floating a few centimeters from Priam, the corrupted cat was powerless.

With a thought, Priam returned the borrowed kinetic energy. His skill wrung the dead body of every liquid it contained, shattering each bone, twisting every tendon, tearing through even its necrotic skin.

Event:   Necromoon .

Banishment of a corrupted (Tier 2 - common) - Sun point +100

Despite the graphic horror of the action, Priam was delighted with his progress. Pyro had reached Harmony, and Mist was close to Unity. By the time the tournament arrived, he would be a Pyro Sage. From there, the ideal Legendary upgrade was almost within reach. I can't wait to ignite myself!

A piece of good news never comes alone, and Priam froze as he felt a colossal amount of aether manifesting. The protective dome was reforming.

" It's now ," Hyshana warned.

Within seconds, the barrier materialized, separating the army of the dead from the living. Priam watched as the enraged corrupted creatures pounded against the barrier with all their might, to no avail.

Only the Necro Envoy, possessing Mirscella's body, could destroy the protection.

At least, that's what Priam thought. Sensing the ground trembling beneath his feet, he leaped into the air to perch on the top of a tree.

A hundred meters away, a titan approached. With a glance, Priam recognized the creature he had faced with Dishnu. Two glowing eyes of cruelty locked onto Priam, and he understood he wasn't the only one to remember his adversary.

[Identification]
[Necro Giant - Tier 3 - Corrupted - Viscount] - A corrupted giant native to Necro-verse . Even as a simple legionnaire of the Necro army, this soldier is dangerous.

Corruption: Stage 3 - Necro Court Viscount (weakened).

Beware of contamination.

The barrier stopped a powerful roar, and Priam smiled. He was backed into a corner. His loved ones fought behind him, and his new allies awaited the Necro Envoy's arrival to act. Oasis's survival depended on his ability to hold the weakened Tier 3.

Using his mastery of kinetic energy, Priam levitated toward his adversary. Passing through the dome, he felt the weight of a million corrupted creatures' attention on him. Instead of weakening, his smile widened.

Transforming his mist cloak into a mantle of flames, Priam boldly embraced the hostility of Necromoon's servants.

His right hand gripped Promesse, and all of Priam's attention focused on the cursed giant skeleton. His resentment finally had a target.

"So, did you get [Dickless] ?" taunted Priam, looking at his opponent's fleshless pelvis.

The necro giant responded with a dreadful roar.

*

Status:

PHYSICAL:
Strength 582
Constitution 979
Agility 561
Vitality 860
Perception 719

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 516
Dexterity 599 (+6)
Memory 471
Willpower 1 036
Charisma 631

META:
Meta-affinity 563
Meta-focus  372
Meta-endurance 391
Meta-perception 260
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 66

Potential: 8 737 (-733)
Tier 0

Sun points: 37 180 (+16 248)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 14 minutes 36 seconds.

[Tribulation] : Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 162 days 3 hours 47 minutes 49 seconds .

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