Chapter 197: Intimidation

While sprinting, Gabrielle wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve. As she approached, the two hunters guarding the boar pen furrowed their brows.

"Oh, it's little Gabrielle. Is there a problem?"

"Open... the... pen..." The teenage girl could barely speak, her breath short.

The two guards exchanged uncertain glances. Despite her status as an apprentice apothecary, Gabrielle was too young to command them.

"I know you're not one to spout nonsense, but I need to know why," one of the two men said.

Gabrielle opened her mouth, stifled a sob, and closed it again. Seeing the orphan's condition, the two guards understood something serious was happening.

"OPEN THE PEN!"

Broli was rushing towards them and his panic convinced the guards.

*

A few minutes later, Gabrielle, Broli, and half a dozen Gaeserts reached the clan's mess tent. A dozen docile boars followed them. The scene could have been astonishing, each beast being a Tier 2 known for its vicious nature, but no Gaesert present was bothered by it.

"Mama Apo, here they are!" Gabrielle entered the main tent. Broli followed, grimacing at the heavy scent of blood. The tables had been cleared to accommodate the unconscious bodies of about forty people.

"How is he?" Broli asked, approaching the clan's healer.

A woman who had seen many seasons gestured for him to be silent. "Fewer words, more actions. Bring in Prasher."

Broli complied . Gabrielle moved away from the entrance as the ground trembled. A boar of almost five tons entered behind Broli. As the clan's oldest and most powerful domesticated animal, the Tier 3 was terrifying. Mounted on legs higher than men and thicker than tree trunks, the beast approached Mama Apo to look.

When it saw the scarred warrior lying on the table, blood oozing from Èvery orifice, the boar's eyes turned red. Beside him, Broli swallowed, realizing that his uncle was between life and death.

"I need some of your blood to save him," the apothecary asked calmly.

The boar calmed down before lowering its head. With a light touch, the old woman opened the thick leather of the Tier 3. A stream of blood flowed out before stopping in mid-air as a large sphere.

"Come closer, Gabrielle; one day, it will be your turn to do this."

Gabrielle approached, observing her master at work.

"Galgo is a Tier 3 warrior. To optimize his healing, I will transfuse blood of the same tier."

Tossing some herbs into the blood orbs, Mama Apo watched the blood boil and turn into fiery red before nodding.

"Prasher is the boar breeder. We regularly inject him with small amounts of snake venom to produce antibodies. These herbs temporarily increase the effectiveness of the antidote."

The blood globe split into nine beads that flew toward the suffering warrior. Each penetrated an orifice before disappearing. Gabrielle heard Broli gulp behind her but paid no attention. She had long understood that saving people was a dirty job.

"If I had more time, I would separate the antibodies from the blood to administer a concentrated serum."

"What about our stock?"

"I injected the huntresses with it. Why did I make this choice?"

The warrior's body began to convulse, and Mama Apo approached. With one hand, she calmed him and applied her magic. One of her abilities allowed her to stimulate her patients' vitality and direct it in the right direction.

"You used the serum on the huntresses because boar blood would be fatal to them. On the other hand, the transformation of our warriors makes them compatible with this blood," Gabrielle replied.

Like Broli a few weeks earlier, each clan fighter merged with a boar's core during their coming-of-age ceremony. The operation transformed them like a weak bloodline, altering their metabolism. Their physical attributes increased, and they awakened defensive talents.

"Is that the only reason?"

Gabrielle took a moment to think.

"The huntresses are physically weaker. If you had waited, they would have died before I brought back the boars."

Mama Apo turned to Gabrielle, a sad smile on her lips. "Even so, not all of them will make it... Broli, your uncle will live."

"Really?!"

"The poison was too weak to spread the necro corruption."

"Thank you, Mama Apo!"

That was why Mama Apo had saved him first. Of all the men, the Chief's brother had the best chance of survival. And the clan couldn't afford to lose a Tier 3.

Broli smiled, unaware that his uncle's survival meant the death of another man.

"Gabrielle, we still have about ten warriors to treat," said the old apothecary, heading to the next table.

Gabrielle followed suit, leaving Broli to calm the enormous boar and watch over his uncle.

A life is saved, but how many will die today?  wondered the teenager. She felt powerless.

*

Cries temporarily drowned out the groans of the Gaeserts. These savages know how to use their vocal cords to mourn their dead.

With a gesture, Ophis, Chief of the Snaherts, dismissed his scribe as the tent flaps opened.

"Five of my huntresses. Three of my warriors. Dead. Twelve others are in a coma, poisoned!" Braato's rage was genuine, and Ophis frowned.

Four guards entered the tent, weapons ready, but none tried to intervene. The Chief of the Gaeserts was a colossus capable of tanking attacks from a Tier 5. It was ridiculous to think the four Tier 3s had a chance, but they were doing their duty.

With a slight nod, Ophis dismissed his men.

"I'm aware, and I'm sure you know I'm innocent."

In different circumstances, Ophis would have loved to reduce the number of Gaeserts sharing his island. However, the Necro event was raging, and he needed all the allies he could get.

"If I had any doubt, I would have already knocked your jaw off," growled Braato. Ophis rolled his eyes but made no comment. "I want you to find whoever did this."

"Why me?"

"Because the skulc’s  butthead who did this thinks like you. The coward prefers to divide us rather than strike head-on."

Ignoring the insult, Ophis narrowed his eyes. Braato raised an interesting point.

"The enemy knows us. We must stand united to thwart their plans."

"United? My clansmen are demanding payback. None of them will be willing to step up to the front lines during the next corrupted attack to defend your Snaherts. Politics isn't our strong suit."

It was the understatement of the century.

Ophis suppressed a grimace. Without the Gaeserts to tank the assault, his fighters would be injured. How many would fall against the Necromoon’s slaves?

"We stand as allies, and I treat this assault with utmost gravity," declared Ophis. "I shall conduct an investigation. In the interim, may I dispatch our Shaman to attend to your wounded?"

Mama Apo was an exceptional healer, but poison was the Snaherts' business.

"The poison ain't the problem; it's just a carrier for necro corruption."

"Our adversary abides by no rules," Ophis grumbled. The Necromoon claimed the souls of those it killed. For the tribesmen, it was a profound insult. "Can't the Sun Shop aid those in a coma?"

The System provided pills to combat necro corruption. Although they came at a price, Braato would have paid without hesitation to save his clansmen.

"The pills we can get our hands on are just too weak."

"... Thus, only one solution remains: The Auctions."

*

[Iconoclast - Legendary] - Already tired of pissing on statues?  While calling Sumstreh a god is stretching the truth, he does have some god-like traits. Despite the Tier difference, you've stolen, conned, humiliated, and ridiculed him. Are you that cunning, or is he just that stupid? Probably a bit of both.
You become even more resistant to auras.
The doors of the Divine Realms close: upon death, your soul cannot be captured.
MEM +10% NEW
WILL  +10%
CHAR +10%
META (Chance) +50

Priam grinned as he saw his Memory increase again. It was now his only attribute below five hundred points—except for the meta attributes. Reaching the first milestone with all attributes would undoubtedly bring rewards.

At least, Priam hoped so.

A gulp caught his attention, and Priam looked up. Ève had just swallowed a white pill and was meditating with closed eyes. Taking advantage of his rival's distraction, Priam leaned in to pick up the black diamond dropped by Sumstreh. When his hand touched the fulcrum shard, his whole body roared with desire, paralyzing his thoughts.

The diamond fell to the ground as Priam's add-on pushed him away with a kinetic flick.

What just happened?!

[Archipelago Concepts response.
High probability of evolving the internal world by absorbing the fulcrum fragment.]

Faced with an object capable of upgrading it, Priam's internal world had spontaneously reacted. Since the world was linked to the soul, and the soul was connected to the body through [Homo Elysian Obsession] , Priam had been paralyzed by the onset of evolution.

Using [Kinetic Control] , Priam grabbed the diamond before encasing it in a shell of ice. He had no confidence in storing the object in his internal world and with no clothing, he couldn't stow it in a pocket. The only downside to being butt naked.

Once the diamond was secured, Priam headed towards Ève.  When his Domain enveloped the young woman, she abruptly opened her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she said without opening her mouth. Sumstreh had injured her, but she could still use her illusions. [Ideal Aether Perception] detected the origin of the skill, and Priam asked his add-on to gather all possible data on it.

"Our god asked us to draw the Necro Envoy's attention with the help of the tribes. I'd like to know what you know about them."

Priam hadn't forgotten that Bastard wasn't the only threat.

Ève's golden eyes filled with anger, a feeling that disappeared when she blinked. The illusions not only concealed her appearance but also her emotions.

"We'll talk about it on Oasis. Protect me while I meditate."

Priam stared at his rival in silence. The atmosphere quickly became awkward. After about twenty seconds, Priam took another step forward. Far from being romantic, the physical closeness was meant to be intimidating. A few centimeters from Ève, Priam locked eyes with his rival.

"I don't believe you're in a position to give me orders."

The cold tone and Priam's posture spoke volumes about his hostility.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Indeed."

After duping Sumstreh, Priam refused to let himself be dominated by his rival.

" Sumst ... Our master wouldn't like that," tried Ève.

"The fact that you're afraid to say his name makes me think otherwise. Our god wants results, and so far, you've achieved nothing impressive."

"I just earned a Title for poisoning and killing several Tier 2s."

Priam instantly understood who had died.

"I'm sure that will convince the tribes to help us kill the Necro Envoy," Priam ironized .

"No one knows it was me."

"We're facing Tier 4s." The dialogue after Sumstreh had provided valuable information to Priam about the tribes. "Do you really think the tribes will be fooled by a Tier 0?"

Despite the illusion, Priam could see the aether on the surface of his rival's body when she was in his Domain. Ève clenched her fists.

"I took precautions."

"I hope for your sake. Otherwise, I know a way to gain the tribes' help."

Bringing Ève to the tribes' justice would surely improve Priam's reputation.

Faced with the thinly veiled threat, Ève activated a skill. Priam's newfound sensitivity to aether alerted him, and he mobilized his Domain, Aura and [Kinetic Control] . Boosted by Conquest, he put pressure on his rival. Ève's body froze, and Priam let the mist fill his eyes. Two white pupils locked onto two golden eyes.

"If I sense you move, there won't be enough intact bones in your body for the Necromoon to resurrect you."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." The anger in Priam's eyes was genuine. Ève had sacrificed him and Sphinx. She might not have had many other choices, but Priam had the right to hate her. The only thing preventing him from killing his rival was Sumstreh. The Fallen was disappointed in Ève, but not to the point of killing her. Plus, she diverted his attention from Priam.

After several seconds, the tension became unbearable. Ève probed his eyes, and the rage she saw must have convinced her because she slouched. Seeing the defeated posture, Priam opened a portal to the Tribulations Chamber.

"I'm taking us back to Oasis, and you won't ditch me along the way," he declared.

Eve shot him a dark look as she entered Concepts Archipelago. Closing the portal, Priam glanced behind him. Behind the curtain of mist and flames, a giant stood out on the horizon. It was still far, but Priam recognized another necro giant. The Necromoon's army was growing every second.

The giant looked in his direction, and Priam disappeared into the mist.

*

Returning to Oasis, Priam found his father and Rose discussing with Hyshana.

"It would be dangerous to wait any longer," said Alain. "The current defenses won't last a second against Tier 2s, and we don't have the skills to upgrade the walls ourselves."

"Every point invested in traps and turrets pays interest. Defenses bring in nothing," Hyshana pointed out.

"What's happening?" Priam asked, appearing next to the campfire. The two humans jumped, surprised by his arrival. The hoplite had a more violent reaction. A light blade appeared in Hyshana's hands and stopped a few centimeters from Priam's face. The sword disappeared the next moment, and she gave him a black look. Only Blueberry didn't react, focused on his grilling.

"Do you want to give me a heart attack?" asked  Alain.

"There's no more inheritance; I don't see the point," Priam winked. The old man burst into laughter.

"How did you do that?" asked Rose, her eyes shining.

Priam shrugged. "I can ride the mist and make it invisible to you. You saw me appear spontaneously, but I just stopped my fusion with the mist."

"Is it a skill or your Concept?" asked  Hyshana.

"My Concept. [Moon Mist]  mainly helps me enhance its power." Without the skill, Priam could only summon a limited amount of mist per second from the ambient aether. With it, he could consume his own aether to create a cloud in a few seconds. A small cloud. "The legendary upgrade will certainly help me go beyond my Concept, but the epic skill isn't enough."

Priam understood that skills were based on Concepts, but the advantages of the former over the latter were still a bit unclear. He knew his doubts would be cleared when he obtained his first natural legendary skill. "What were you talking about?"

Alain and Hyshana opened their mouths at the same time, but Rose was faster.

"After destroying hordes of corrupted all  day, we've accumulated quite a few Sun points. Hyshana wants to invest them in traps and turrets to earn even more points. Alain suggests a more defensive option: upgrade our wall to survive the hypothetical appearance of Tier 2s," explained Rose.

"The best defense is offense," said Hyshana. It didn't surprise Priam that the hoplites knew the saying.

"Solid and well-defined walls would allow us to build other structures and protect our guests."

Priam turned to the Forum. The Guardian of Secrets wasn't at much risk, but Ymir's bison wouldn't fit into Log-a-rhythm. In case of an attack, it would die.

"Can't we do both?"

"Being average everywhere is being good nowhere. The idea is not to abandon one or the other strategy but to prioritize one. We need to choose a direction and an identity for Oasis. As the Lord, it's your responsibility," declared Hyshana.

"What do you mean?"

"Does Oasis aim to be an offensive outpost built around Log-a-rhythm, or do you want to invest to create a solid and habitable base?"

Priam looked at Log-a-rhythm, the first gift he had received from the System. Vibrant with green, gold, and crimson, the tree seemed to sing as the wind swayed its leaves. Soaring into the air, it seemed to defy the universe to bring it down again. A defiance echoed by Priam.

"I chose the name Oasis for a reason. This base will be a sanctuary for my loved ones in this terrifying world. A home that will welcome us after every journey. A haven of magic to study the mysteries of aether and the System... The outpost will be Concepts Archipelago. Oasis will be a home. Yours too, Hyshana."

"You sound more like a Shield than a Spear."

"A Spear for humanity; a Shield for those I love."

Something changed in Hyshana's gaze. "Then let's upgrade the wall. Here's the hoplite's contribution: forty thousand Sun points."

"Thank you."

Priam opened the Sun Shop.

Sun Shop:

Territory:

Some infrastructures are available as blueprints at half the cost.

Protective Barrier II (10 000 points) - A protective barrier capable of covering 1,000 square meters and indefinitely stopping attacks from an average Tier 1 (Elysium standard).

Camouflage II (10 000 points) - A camouflage enchantment covering 1,000 square meters, disrupting the senses of an average Tier 1 (Elysium standard).

Alarm I (5 000 points) - An alarm covering 500 square meters, detecting most Tier 0 intruders (Elysium standard).

…

Necro Purification Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual purifying the ambient aether from the curse of the Necromoon. Covers 500 square meters.

Natural Growth Ritual I (5 000 points) - A ritual accelerating the growth of living beings, particularly effective on plants. Covers 500 square meters. Possibility to add organic remains to enhance the ritual's efficiency.

Guardian of the Forest Ritual III (25 000 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 2,000 square meters.

…

Holy Guardian V (100 000 points) - Develops the power of your Holy Guardian and grants it the potential of a Duke. Only a High Tribulation can improve your Holy Guardian's Soul Tier.
Properties: Immune to the Necro curse. Resistant to the Necro Concept. Cannot leave your Territory. Development speed x5. Number of available resurrections: 5. Natural affinity (Moon): 100% (50% (base) + 50%).

…

Tribulation Chamber II (10 000 points) - Improvement.
Rampart III (25 000 points) - Improvement.

…

Sun points : 155 244

"I think we'll be able to upgrade more than just the rampart," smiled Priam.

*

Status:

PHYSICAL:
Strength 557
Constitution 860
Agility 552
Vitality 840
Perception 714

MENTAL:
Vivacity 505
Dexterity 587
Memory 413 (+28)
Willpower 1 028
Charisma 631

META:
Meta-affinity 430
Meta-focus  350
Meta-endurance 354
Meta-perception 221
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 33

Potential: 5 268
Tier 0

Sun points: 155 244 (+40 213)

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation] : Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 164 days 21 hours 3 minutes 59 seconds.

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