A Novel Concept - He Who Eludes Death-Chapter 326: A Greedy Juggernaut - part 2

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lasha said, popping her own candy into her mouth with childlike glee. “But if you refuse, I won’t get to eat mine either. So here’s the deal: you eat it, or I jam it down your throat.”

Turning away to hide a smile, Priam unwrapped the candy and tasted it. A symphony of flavors exploded on his palate. This dish was worthy of more than three Michelin stars.

Major changes in constitution detected - Due to sudden increase in the aether concentration of your body, it has begun to adapt to the primordial energy.

You've earned a talent - [Touched by aether]

[Touched by aether] - Your body has begun to adapt to the aether. This primordial fluid will change you.

Adaptation time: 36 months.

The cool, minty flavor flooded Priam’s senses as his energy surged back. Immersing himself back into the exercise, Priam stabilized his two flames within minutes, a smile on his face. Manipulating them felt so natural it was almost a game. He didn’t hesitate long before increasing the exercise’s difficulty to challenge himself.

Flexing [Aether Manipulation], the mage began altering the flames’ intensity and guiding them through intricate movements. Before long, one flame circled the other... and stopped as the cables fueling them became tangled.

Frowning, Priam analyzed the problem. His aether threads were tangible to each other. A glance around the room confirmed it was filled with Lasha’s and Wang Lin’s energy. Yet their aethers didn’t collide. There had to be a way.

For the next five minutes, Priam pushed his understanding of aether to its limits, probing its nature and attempting to alter its properties. His scientific background served him well, and through trial and error, he finally stumbled upon a solution. Just as a radio tunes into different frequencies, Priam adjusted what he perceived as the “frequency” of one of his aether strands. Instantly, it phased through the second. The two cables now coexisted in the same space without colliding, like two neighboring Wi-Fi signals.

With the issue resolved, the second flame began orbiting the first, and a surge of dopamine brought a grin to Priam’s face. He was proud like a child who had just solved a difficult riddle.

A soft round of applause broke his concentration. Turning, Priam saw Lasha leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, her eyes glinting with amusement.

“Impressive… Was that a stroke of luck, or do you actually understand what you’ve done?”

Priam answered honestly. “I adjusted what I think is the frequency of my aether.”

Lasha studied him in silence for a moment before responding. “I hit Tier 2 when I was twenty-five. When word got out, a divine faction tried to kidnap me, thinking my children would inherit my talent. Be careful, Priam—the stars that shine the brightest tend to burn out the fastest.”

Priam smirked. “Maybe. But some stars collapse into black holes, and the universe just has to deal with it.” Lasha burst into laughter. “By the way, which faction was it? Might be good to avoid them.”

The elf’s laughter faded into a thin smile. “Don’t worry, they disappeared along with their god.”

[Lvl Up: [High Aether Manipulation] lvl 16, 17, 18, 19

META (Affinity) +12

META (Focus) +12

META (Endurance) +12]

Lvl Up: [Aether Manipulation] lvl 39

META (Perception) +1

META (Affinity) +1

META (Focus) +1

“Aether Manipulation, level thirty-nine!” Priam exclaimed, practically trembling with joy.

“In just fifteen days! That’s gotta be a record,” Lasha grinned.

“Fifteen days…” Priam sank into a chair, mentally drained. He hadn’t eaten, slept, or even taken a bathroom break in two weeks, thanks to pills and elixirs. His progress was phenomenal, but the monotony of relentless training, the purging of his body and mind and the focus-enhancing drugs were beginning to wear on him. Not even Lasha’s jokes or Wang Lin’s strict regimen could keep his mind completely on task.

“Training’s over,” Wang Lin announced, stepping into the room with his usual composed demeanor. “Your Reunion begins in twelve hours.”

Priam nodded wearily. “Can I sleep here to save time? That way, I can visit the library before—”

“Nope!” Lasha cut him off with a grin. “Cramming the night before never works as well as resting.”

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“But what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to party like all of this is just a dream!” Lasha winked.

Unceremoniously kicked out of the training room, Priam found himself wandering the Guild's hallways. Thanks to his near-perfect memory—and directions from drunken mercenaries—he made his way back to the human dormitories. His father was already asleep, but the other recruits were gathered around a fire, chatting and laughing to stave off the pre-Reunion jitters.

“Looking good, handsome,” Victoire teased as Priam approached.

“Cool it, lovebirds! Some of us are still single and suffering here!” Maya shouted, drawing a round of laughter.

Grinning, Priam joined them, recounting his recent encounter with the Guild leader. He skillfully dodged hard questions until one of the recruits froze mid-conversation.

“Wait, you know the casino manager?!”

“If you’re talking about an elf with floating hair, then yeah.”

“Could you put in a good word for me?” Luc asked, blushing faintly.

Priam smirked. “I don’t think that’s necessary. Lasha just left for a nightclub, and she looked like she planned to have some fun. Want my advice? Go for it.”

Luc took a deep breath, stood up, and declared, “You only live once, right?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I’m gonna confess to a Tier 5. Who’s with me?!"

The group erupted into cheers.

“I bet my woolly socks he’ll get turned down!”

“You call those socks? I call them a biological weapon!”

“I’m not missing this!” someone shouted, and soon the entire crew was on their feet, following Luc out the door. On the eve of the Reunion, everyone needed to unwind.

Five minutes later, Priam and Victoire were alone in the garden.

“You don’t want to go out and have some fun?”

“I want to be with you.”

Priam leaned in for a kiss.

“Shall we go see my new apartment?”

“Lead the way,” Victoire replied with a soft smile.

Priam’s new captain’s quarters were located right next to the dormitories, behind a door that hadn’t existed the day before. As he approached, the entrance unlocked automatically, revealing an apartment spacious enough for two. Before he could explore, Victoire stepped closer, her fingers brushing his chin.

“Care to explain how you managed to grow a beard in two hours?”

Priam winked. “I just spent fifteen days in our leader’s chamber.”

Victoire arched an eyebrow, and Priam realized his mistake.

“Not like that! I mean, I spent fifteen days in a time dilation chamber to train. Time dilation being the key part here.”

The woman’s expression shifted from amusement to comprehension, then to astonishment.

“What?! Spill everything!”

Laughing, Priam obliged. Using the kitchen, he made wraps for both of them as he recounted his experience. They talked late into the night, Victoire’s questions peppering the conversation until their food was gone.

“I’m proud of you, love,” Victoire said softly. “But fifteen days without unwinding can’t be good for you. Let’s get some rest.”

“The effects of my no-sleep pills haven’t worn off yet,” Priam reminded her.

Victoire flopped onto the bed. “Who said anything about sleeping?”

That night, Priam discovered one of the many perks of high vitality.

Lvl Up : [Nightmare Resistance] lvl 5

WILL +1

MEM +1

CHAR +1

[Chimera - Legendary] is ready for evolution. Presence of a catalyst detected.

Use 5 070 POT to trigger evolution?

Lvl Up: [Thick Blood] lvl 16, 17

VIT +6

Lvl Up: [Adaptive Golden Meridians] lvl 24,..., 30

META (Focus) +21

META (Endurance) +42

Lvl Up: [Spirit Resistance] lvl 26, 27, 28

WILL +9

The add-on ignored the alarming notifications, monitoring its host’s condition. As a Homo Elysian, Priam’s body and soul were intertwined—for better or worse. Right now, a merciless battle was raging between his mutation and his newly formed gate, tearing apart his right eye. Even as lifespan was spent to regenerate the organ, the injury had infected his soul. Ironically, the negation effect of Hecate’s New Moon was weakening the body-soul link, buying him some time.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

The release of Pyro had only made things worse. The Concept raged like a wildfire, threatening to drag Priam’s consciousness into an inferno of destruction and fury. His Tribulations protected his ego by imprisoning it, but they wouldn’t last much longer.

Meanwhile, Pyro had taken the form of its creator—a blazing sun. As expected, keeping a star in his soul space was a terrible idea. The celestial body scorched his soul and body simply by its mere presence.

Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 25, 26, 27, 28

VIT +12

CONST +12

META (Endurance) +12

Despite the critical situation, the add-on didn’t trigger any emergency plan.

[Parameters measured: consistent with simulation. No major deviation detected.]

The Juggernaut had anticipated this development, as well as his eye mutation’s reaction to Pyro’s release. Recognizing a nemesis, Hecate’s New Moon struck at the sun. This shift in focus alleviated the pressure on [Free Will], partially freeing the resistance. Sensing the opportunity, the add-on continued the gate tempering.

Lvl Up: [Free Will] lvl 25, 26, 27, 28

WILL +24

CHAR +12

By its nature, [Free Will] also fought back against Pyro’s onslaught, creating a three-way conflict. Soon, a triangle of flames, gold, and darkness appeared in Priam’s right eye. A Concept, a gate, and a mutation waged an unyielding war for control over his soul. At the edges of the battlefield, the add-on kept watch, intervening when necessary to maintain the status quo.

Amid the violence, the Juggernaut adapted, and [Chimera] evolved.

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 893

Constitution 1 450 (+16)

Agility 1 194

Vitality 1 368 (+36)

Perception 865

MENTAL:

Vivacity (D) 599

Dexterity 760

Memory 911 (+4)

Willpower 1 177 (+49)

Charisma 776 (+25)

META:

Meta-affinity 1 039 (+15)

Meta-focus 620 (+36)

Meta-endurance 1 070 (+100)

Meta-perception 541

Meta-chance 616

Meta-authority 453

Potential: 27 797 (+59)

Tier 0

Sun points: 1 143 444

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

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