Novel East
Chapter 110: See you soon - (2)
Mercury grimaced at the crowd's applause. Priam had turned Claire into a symbol of the hardships raining down on them. Most were thrilled to see humanity striking back. Even if it meant taking the life of a young woman, he lamented.
Mercury's perspective was more nuanced, understanding that certain deeds were necessary. Claire's death was a grim necessity, but rejoicing in it? That was a different matter.
His gaze shifted to Priam. The Champion was undeniably strong and charismatic and vowed to slay their enemies. How could they not be enamored by him? Had they even realized that he never promised to shield them? They revered the Spear for its strength, but they'd need a Shield. Priam would never allow himself to be bound in such a way...
From the corner of his eye, Mercury noticed the Champion's somber expression. A man who was both strong and honest, who took no pleasure in killing or manipulating his kin? That was a pleasant surprise.
Despite his flaws, I've bet on the right horse.
When Priam swung open the infirmary door, he was greeted by the sight of Sphinx hopping about on Blueberry's belly. The colossal bear had been laid out across two rows of five beds each. It was the only way to let him lie other than having him sprawl on the floor.
Sphinx's leaps seemed to tickle Blueberry. Despite the latter's flailing, the beds held firm. A few planks creaked from time to time, but one thing was for sure: the System churned out quality.
"Sphinx, give him a break, he's convalescing," Priam said, shutting the door behind him.
"He's not convalescing, he's just too lazy to get up!" Sphinx exclaimed, bounding onto the ursine's muzzle.
"I specialize in strength, not vitality," grumbled Blueberry, shoving the tyrannical Lord aside. "Do you realize how much energy I need to rebuild my muscles? If only I could nibble on some fire-roasted wyvern..." he said, giving Priam puppy-dog eyes.
A bear wasn't built for puppy-dog eyes. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say you want to eat me," Priam said.
"I am actually quite hungry."
"You'll taste my spear if you keep it up."
Promesse hummed in recognition of the word.
"You know what, I'll stick with the wyvern," Blueberry relented, eyeing the weapon with concern. Was Promesse old enough to grasp sarcasm? Blueberry didn't want to bet on it.
"Only the Earls are entitled to this delicious dish, you commoner," Sphinx declared, leaping into Priam's arms.
"I'm a Viscount, as you were yesterday!"
"Commoner, commoner, commoner!"
Priam burst into laughter.
"She just wants to humiliate me, and you're encouraging her," Blueberry grumbled.
Priam stopped laughing and wiped his eyes. "Forgive me, Blueberry."
Positioning Sphinx in front of him, he pinched her cheeks. "I'm proud of you for your promotion, Sphinx! But we mustn't be mean to our friends, okay?"
Nodding weakly, Sphinx mewed. Priam's eyes widened in surprise.
"You... You meowed?"
"Rose told me that if I was cute, you'd forget about my mischief..." Sphinx meowed again, and Priam held her tightly. Her fur was so soft
Well played, Rose! Priam was aware he was being manipulated, but he accepted his fate.
Blueberry grumbled as he watched the scene. Sphinx meowed again upon seeing the bear roll his eyes.
"Can I keep bothering him?" she whispered.
"Later," Priam replied, straightening up. "Let's head to the garden; I have a proposition for you." ๐โด๐ฟโฏ๐ตโฏ๐ช๐๐.๐ฌโด๐
"Awesome!"
Blueberry didn't respond. The bear sulked in silence, and Priam decided to give him some motivation. "Shall we discuss this over a wyvern barbecue?"
A mass of fur leaped towards the nearest window, shattering it along with the wall it was set in. Priam laughed before following suit.
To cook a wyvern, you needed hot embers. Blueberry had laboriously stacked a few branches of greenwood twenty minutes earlier. The pile resembled a giant game of pickup sticks that Blueberry struggled to ignite. Sphinx's advice didn't seem to be helping him.
Priam shook his head, refocusing on Louis. The spirited old man regaled them with his surfing experience, shooting glances towards Mirscella every ten seconds.
"...riding a wave single-handed. When you're upside down, the connection with the water is incredible. You feel like you're merging with the wave. Once, when I was vacationing near Sumatra..."
Mirscella cleared her throat. "I'm sure we all love Sumatra, Louis, but I have a question for Priam."
Louis blinked before breaking into a wide smile. Hearing his name from his sweetheart's lips was enough to make him look like a fool. For a moment, Priam wondered if Mirscella had hypnotized him. Unlikely, unless she brewed a love potion and he chugged the whole cauldron...
The loverboy playfully bowed, flexing his muscles in the process. For his age, the old fellow was in good shape. Priam then widened his eyes. Don't tell me... Does he have so much Vitality that his body's producing teenage hormones again?
The explanation seemed absurd, but Priam couldn't outright dismiss it. He was interrupted in his thoughts by Mirscella.
"I'm always ready for some wyvern. Well, as long as we can cook it before the end of the Reunion," she said, turning to Blueberry. "But I was wondering why you've gathered us here?"
"I have... an opportunity to offer you," Priam informed them. "Originally, I was only thinking about my father, but I believe it might interest all of you as well."
"I'm listening," Mirscella sounded intrigued. Priam's uncertain smile and the Champion's hesitation piqued her curiosity.
"In a few hours, we'll be sent back to the world that welcomed us at the end of our Tutorial." All the humans present nodded, and Priam continued.
"I have the ability to invite you into the world that welcomed me. I'd like you to come with me, Dad," Priam asked, looking at his father. "When I find Eliza, she'll need you too."
Alain smiled. "I had a hunch, son. Of course, I'll come! Despite all your powers, I'm pretty sure you're sleeping in a sorry excuse for a cabin. Together, we'll build ourselves a decent dwelling!"
Priam grimaced, remembering his early days in Elysium. He had to dig into the ground to sleep. It was more fun in Minecraft.
"Your father could build an airplane with a spoon and pieces of flint," Louis confirmed.
"I won't be getting on that plane," clarified Mirscella.
"With no pilot or fuel, there's relatively little danger," Alain pointed out.
"I can pilot. In Argentina, I rented a sort of little..."
Mirscella cleared her throat, magically silencing Louis.
Alain turned to the old lady. He knew who to persuade. "I'd appreciate it if you came too. You're my friends now, and I'm sure it's a nice world. Isn't that right, Priam?"
"Well..."
Mirscella raised an eyebrow. Well ?"
"Elysium is one of the most dangerous worlds in this Universe," Priam admitted. "Your chances of survival are slim if you stray far from me. Any animal is monstrously powerful, and dangers abound. The reason is simple: the density of aether is so high that natural treasures are extremely abundant. However, if you come... we'll have no rivals in the next Reunion."
Silence greeted his words. Priam grimaced, contemplating his proposition. Louis and Mirscella were already among the most powerful humans. More importantly, they were alive, a significant advantage in harnessing power. Who would risk their life for...
"Okay."
"Count me in!"
Priam looked up at the two. "...Great. But why?"
"Weren't you wanting us to come?" Mirscella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all. It's just that... you don't need to?"
Louis laughed. "We're like you, Priam. You didn't become the Champion by cultivating caution."
"It's the Achilles' dilemma," added Mirscella. "To live passionately for a few years or cautiously for a long time. No one reaches the top without being passionate. If you try to dissuade us now, I'll take it as an insult."
"I wouldn't want to offend you," Priam smiled. "That settles it then. Let's go help them start this fire."
Sphinx and Blueberry had looked at Priam strangely when he posed the question. Sphinx simply replied that if he decided to leave without her, she'd meow like an abandoned kitten. The image broke Priam's heart.
Meanwhile, Blueberry calmly explained that the Crimson Fruit he had brought Priam was a kind of admission ticket.
"I hope Air Priam serves hors d'oeuvres during the transport..."
"There's magic water?"
"Hum By the way, are you aware that Sphinx will want to bring Rose?"
Priam wasn't. He hesitated for a few minutes before discussing it with his father.
"If she wants to come... She's a brave girl who doesn't have any family left. She doesn't even have a world to return to, so I suppose she'll have to spend several months alone on the Moon?"
Priam wasn't ready to abandon a teenager. In the end, he simply asked the interested party for her opinion. Sphinx found and brought Rose to the barbecue in less than five minutes. The teenager immediately accepted the invitation.
"I want to be with you and Sphinx! Elysium sounds incredible, I could get strong enough to bring back Mom..."
The sentence hung in the air, but Priam was almost sure Rose also wanted to bring her father back. That's a problem for my future self.
In the end, it took Blueberry over an hour to light the fire.
From the window of his suite, Bechar watched the humans in the Dome frantically bustling about. With a thought, he could have observed the other domes. It was of little use; he'd have witnessed the same spectacle. Merchants packed their goods, artisans stowed their tools, and parents sought their children.
In the Colosseum - or rather, the Colosseums - some warriors attempted to surpass their limits. All hoped to level up one more time just before the end of the Reunion.
It was a bit too late. The portals would open in a few seconds. A final glance at Priam made him smile. He had figured out how to create a passage between his inner world and the outer world, but the path was too narrow for Blueberry.
The poor bear was trying to make himself as small as possible while Priam spent Potential to widen the passage. Sphinx, three elderly individuals, and a teenager were pushing the bear into the bluish portal. The upper body went in easily, but the hips were stuck. ๐๐v๐๐๐a๐t.c๐m
Suddenly, Sphinx returned to her true size and gave the bear a paw swipe, sending him through the passage in one go. Bechar winced. She must have broken two or three of his bones...
A few moments later, only Priam remained in the garden.
Simultaneously, billions of portals opened on the surface of the Moon. Taking a deep breath, Priam stepped into the closing passage.
See you soon
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 317
Constitution 448
Agility 304
Vitality 465
Perception 521
MENTAL:
Vivacity 282
Dexterity 345
Memory 72
Willpower 464
Charisma 384
META:
Meta-affinity 249
Meta-focus 183
Meta-endurance 161
Meta-perception 77
Meta-chance 207
Meta-authority 12
Potential: 779
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.
[Tribulation]: One Tribulation pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 180 days 0 hour 38 minutes 12 seconds.
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