A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!
Chapter 340: To Reap the Rewards!

When his laughter subsided, Priam was surprised to feel lighter. A weight he hadn’t even realized he was carrying had lifted. Jasmine’s death, however fleeting it had been, had shaken him. His friends weren’t as immortal as he was, and that realization unsettled him.

How many will still be by my side in ten years? The answer terrified him.

“Priam?” The amusement on Jasmine’s face had been replaced by concern. “You’re making a weird face.”

“Thinking about a depressing future.”

“Well, I’ve always had a thing for tortured poets.”

Her declaration rekindled Priam’s laughter before he admitted, “I don’t think I’ve quite processed your death yet."

“Ah!” Jasmine jabbed her finger into his chest. “Now you know how it feels when you pull one of your suicide stunts! That helplessness of watching you suffer without being able to do a damn thing? That hurts.”

Priam grimaced, rubbing his pectoral. “Sorry,” he muttered, though even to his own ears, it sounded hollow.

“We both know you’ll do it again.” Jasmine shot him an exasperated look before continuing. “If you’re done brooding, let’s talk about Arnold. Are you going to publish your Achievement?”

“Why not—” Priam froze. “Shit. You think he might attack Oasis if he thinks he has a shot at taking me down?”

“You know him best,” Jasmine shrugged. “But from what you saw in Back in Time, our dear Var Elegis rival only behaves because he thinks you’re stronger than him.”

That was Priam’s hypothesis, at least. The homunculus’s biology, mind, and experiences were utterly alien, making it hard to predict its thoughts. However, the alternate timeline had proven that the Tyrant would attack if he believed he could execute Priam. Given that, the Juggernaut hesitated to show any sign of weakness, such as taking second place. He was confident he could survive for a bit, but protecting Oasis was another matter entirely.

“You’re adorable when you chew your lip like that,” Jasmine murmured.

Priam blushed before sharing his conclusion. “I think I’ll publish it anyway. It’ll help me level up [Ciphered Record] while also galvanizing humanity. They’re probably still fighting the necromantic army—some hope wouldn’t hurt. Besides, just because I placed second doesn’t mean I’m inferior to first place.”

Jasmine cocked an eyebrow. “I’m your biggest fan, but that makes no sense.”

“Look at my rankings. Two top 1s, one top 3, one top 20, and one in the top ninety percent—my last Tribulation tanked my overall score, yet I’m still second.”

“Which means…?”

“That no one else even comes close to my first-place finishes. I overachieved.”

Though Priam couldn't be taxed with arrogance, he was far from modest.

“If you hadn’t taken so long dealing with your nemesis, you might’ve been first,” Jasmine pointed out.

Priam shrugged. “The day I’m willing to execute my own blood without hesitation is the day I’ve strayed from the path to the Zenith.”

As he reaffirmed his principles, Priam studied the dark sphere floating above his palm. It contained half a liter of genetic material, extracted from his son before he incinerated him. Opening a passage to his inner world, Priam stored the vital fluid beside a warrior’s bone—the one responsible for the Deluge—and blood beads from Ophis and Braato, the leaders of the Snahert and Gaesert tribes. His genetic collection, crucial for upgrading Homo Elysian to Tier 3, was growing.

Closing the passage, Priam met Jasmine’s gaze.

“Anyway, Arnold has the better overall ranking, but I have the higher peaks. Concretely, that means he probably got solid rewards across all his Tribulations, but my first two gave me an exceptional one. And if I had to choose between my Oneiric meta-affinity and five lesser rewards, I’d take the former every damn time.”

“Or maybe he aced his last three Tribulations and got something even better than you.”

“Possible,” Priam admitted. “But it doesn’t really matter because he won’t be first for long.” Seeing Jasmine’s puzzled expression, he clarified, “Dishnu. With Log-a-rhythm and what I know about the future, there’s no way our tree-loving friend won’t ace his Tribulations.”

“Mmh. If Arnold thinks his two biggest rivals have allied, he’ll be more cautious?”

“I hope so. In Back in Time, he waited for backup from two Tier 4s and a crucial piece of intel on me before betraying us. In this timeline, I’d bet he’ll be even more careful.”

“Mmh… I agree about Arnold—his ultra-pragmatic nature makes him predictable. But Dishnu is a free spirit. If that drya decides to steal your tree…”

“With the Sun Points I just earned, I’ll be able to invest heavily in Log-a-rhythm’s defense,” Priam grinned as he opened his rewards.

General awards:

Achievement - Mythic

Mythical Title (Selection Required)

Without further delay, Priam broadcasted his feat.

Achievement - Mythic : As a Tier 0, you have endured a quintuple Tribulation. Far from Elysium, you unleashed these mythical trials upon Proxima, the war-planet of your integration round. This decision is not insignificant, and its consequences will impact humanity and its rival civilizations. Already, the echoes of your deeds spread, adding to your Story.

Message for Humanity and Sector Hope:

Priam Azura withstood a quintuple Tribulation at Tier 0.

Final rank: Sector - year: 2

The Seven Concepts congratulate you.

Potential + 10 000. 1 000 000 Sun points. Seed of Potential. Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic).

“Well?” Jasmine prompted.

“A Seed of Potential—it can replace most ideal prerequisites—and a Revelation Token, which will be perfect for [Virus Resistance] if I can’t downgrade it fast enough.”

His son had proven that this was a weakness capable of bypassing [He Who Eludes Death], and Priam intended to patch it as best he could.

“Not bad,” said Jasmine.

“It’s solid.”

“Then why the weird face?”

“...I’m frustrated about being second,” the Juggernaut admitted.

“You know what you have to do to fix that.”

Priam’s competitive spirit ignited, and he swore to relegate Arnold to second place as soon as possible.

Lvl Up: [Ciphered Record] lvl 4

MEM +6

META (Affinity) +6

META (Authority) +15

“The voyeurs are coming,” Priam sneered, half pleased to see his legendary resistance progressing. “Welcome guys!”

“Jasmine, let's continue communicating through our add-ons.”

“Okay!”

Priam resumed reading through his rewards, saving his Title selection for last.

Rewards - customized:

Quintuple Tribulation: five rewards selectable from the following list:

Next Tribulation delayed by a year.

Alloy formula for a spear (Gold rarity).

Fusion of [Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Gold] and Heart of a Draconic Necro-Chimera.

One soul to resurrect.

Time stasis - duration: 2 days.

POT +20 000.

Access to humanity's knowledge on a topic (equivalent to 1 000 000 words).

Purification of your Phoenix Bloodline (2%)

Purification of your Dragon Bloodline (1%)

Five drops of [Elixir of Eternity - 10 years].

Free attributes (+200)

Free skill level-ups (+20)

Seed of experience

Seed of Potential

Branch of Garoe - the Mist Tree

Tear of an Elysium Star.

Breath of Serket.

Perfect Tribulation Run Memories

Experience Phantom Advisor - Skill (Epic - 1 hour)

Experience Phantom Advisor - Talent (Gold - 1 hour)

Experience Phantom Advisor - Supremacy (Tier I - 1 hour)

Experience Phantom Advisor - Concept (Tier I - 1 hour)

Race upgrade (Divergent from Homo Elysian)

[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 29 days 22 hours 12 minutes 47 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 6 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 800

Priam whistled as he finished the list. “Well, that’s tempting!”

“You say that, but you’re going to hoard most of your rewards,” Jasmine teased.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Choosing wisdom over pointless bickering, Priam let the argument go. In childish games like this, Jasmine could be incredibly stubborn—and he had a public image to defend.

“The first reward is a no-brainer—I need to purify my Phoenix bloodline.”

“If you do that, it’ll be almost twice as pure as your Draconic bloodline. That won’t be a problem?”

“Between you and me, my draconic bloodline is more tyrannical than the phoenix’s one. For now, [Chimera] forces them to behave, but down the line, I’ll either need to enhance that Talent or find another way to balance them. Maybe both.”

The most obvious way to pressure his draconic bloodline was to introduce a third, but just the thought sent cold sweat down his back. That was the kind of dumb decision even [He Who Eludes Death] wouldn’t save him from. For now.

“In the short term, I should purify my Phoenix bloodline as much as possible so it can stand up to the despotic dragon,” Priam summarized. “Especially since each gate of Heavenly Dragon refines it by one percent. The fulcrum being a league of its own, I expect the bloodline to reach the ten percent threshold by the end of my first tempering.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“I can hardly imagine how powerful your Breath will be at that stage.”

“Enough to ruffle Sumstreh’s ball hairs,” Priam grinned, confirming his choice. His smile vanished as a drop of magma manifested at the center of his human heart. Its heat seared the organ, and the Pyro Champion collapsed to his knees as the fluid mixed with his blood. His draconic heart kept pulsing, sending the infernal essence to the farthest reaches of his body.

The infernal fluid scorched everything in its path, and Priam panicked as he felt his brain heat up and his eyes begin to liquefy. A second later, the essence shifted, exuding a regenerative aura that restored his body. Then the searing heat returned. Like a cosmic star, his body radiated a wave of thermal energy so intense it forced Jasmine to retreat to the edge of the bunker.

As agony ravaged Priam’s consciousness, the essence of the phoenix infused every one of his cells before sinking even deeper. Soon, the Juggernaut heard the roar of a mythical beast echoing from the depths of his being.

When Micro detected an itch beneath his nails, Priam hastily awakened [Chimera] and his draconic bloodline. The Talent’s rank and the authoritative presence of a supreme creature managed to suppress an unwanted atavism, allowing him to retain his hands.

Unwilling to waste this opportunity, Priam permitted less radical changes. His connection with Pyro deepened, and his body was reforged.

Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 36, 37, 38, 39, 40

VIT +15

CONST +15

META (Endurance) +15

The rune of [Phoenix Wings] trembled violently, and for a fleeting instant, Priam thought it would mutate on its own. The moment passed, and he exhaled upon realizing no change had occurred. His bloodline was still too weak to trigger that kind of evolution. Nonetheless, deep down, the Champion knew it would now be easier to observe his mentor’s wings to obtain the ideal upgrade. Soon, he promised himself.

“So?” Jasmine asked, smothering a few burning embers with her shadows.

Bloodlines:

• Phoenix: 5% (+2%)
• Dragon: 3%

“Five percent is the first atavism threshold.” Seeing Jasmine’s puzzled expression, Priam clarified. “I almost ended up with talons instead of hands.”

“Oh. That wouldn’t have been great for handling your spear.”

“Promesse would’ve hated it,” Priam confirmed.

“I wasn’t talking about Promesse. Whatever, next reward.”

Rolling his eyes, Priam selected the formula for a gold alloy. It had been one of the rewards he hesitated to claim after triumphing over the Deluge, but now it seemed fitting. Given his current enemies, his bound weapon needed an upgrade. The longer he waited, the less he would be able to rely on it. The immediate consequence would be a delay in learning Spear Mastery—unthinkable for an Ace.

The mental equivalent of a massive file appeared in his memory, and Priam directed his add-on to sort the data and formulate a plan to acquire the necessary materials. The conclusions arrived swiftly, and he smiled as he reviewed them.

“Mmh… With the Sun Shop, upgrading Promesse when I get back should be easy.”

“Without a smith?”

“One of Prometheus’ retainers has the skill,” Priam said with a grin. “And I have him in Concepts Archipelago. Help your neighbor, and the world will help you.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to expect anything in return, but whatever. Third reward?”

“Twenty free levels.”

“That’s dumb.”

“For [Tribulation Resistance],” Priam lied smoothly. There was no reason to name his true skill when everyone and their mother was watching. Who could say whether a high-tier individual was capable of listening to their private conversation?

“That’s genius. Do it.”

Laughing, Priam instead selected [Tribulation Hunter]. Since Thaal, a System Administrator, considered the skill intriguing, he would have been a fool not to invest in it. The Juggernaut had big plans for it, but its epic rank was a roadblock to his ambitions. And with twenty extra levels, tracking down my Tribulations will be much easier if one ever tries to hide…

With those three solid reasons in mind, Priam locked in his choice.

At the core of his soul, the source of his Potential stirred without his consent, and a geyser of energy erupted. The divine liquid shot straight into the third layer of his skills, soaking the alien rune of [Tribulation Hunter] and forcing it to accept the System’s pure energy.

Lvl up: [Tribulation Hunter - Unique] lvl 21,...,40

META (Chance) +180

META (Chance) exceeds 1 000 points. Second milestone reached. Congratulations!

Priam gasped as an entirely new sense awakened within him. If meta chance had always been an abstract attribute, this milestone was impossible to ignore.

At the edge of his perception, he felt something shifting in the aether. As if the world was whispering to him—not secrets, but gossip. Where his instincts once screamed at him in primal warnings, this new voice was ever-present yet less intelligible. Straining his ears, Priam spent several minutes deciphering the incomprehensible noise. Just as frustration was setting in, a single truth cut through with perfect clarity.

“The necro-drake… It’s Seth.”

“You mean he sent the beast?” asked Jasmine. “Or did he orchestrate my death?”

“Both.”

“This fucking bonehead! How do you know?”

“The aether told me.”

Jasmine simply nodded, a deadly glint flashing in her gray eyes. Her revenge would be as cold as it was final.

“You still have two rewards left,” she reminded him.

Priam scanned the list again and sighed. “Three are calling to me… Seed of Potential is always useful.” Several of his movement and martial skills were capped, just waiting for ideal prerequisites to be upgraded. “And the Experience Phantom Advisors. Skill and Supremacy are especially tempting.”

The other rewards were more mundane, except for the fusion of his draconic heart and the Perfect Run. The first was off the table—he needed that trophy for his tempering—and the second was depressing. Priam had no desire to see himself execute his son just to win first place.

“Hm. Ask your mentor’s opinion?”

“Already did before coming to Proxima.” Priam had taken precautions, discussing everything with the phoenix except topics protected by his oaths. “Basically, everything’s a good choice. The Phantoms are masters in their fields and exceptional teachers. Supremacy is a must for Domain II, and Skill could help me understand [Tribulation Resistance], [There is No Heaven], [Priam’s System], or [Runic Language].”

“Domain II?”

“One of the prerequisites for [Ideal Aether Manipulation]. That skill is practically calling my name.”

“Mmh. Why do I feel like you’ve already decided?”

“Because I have,” Priam chuckled. “A Mythic Achievement could give me more Seeds of Potential. I want those Experience Phantom Advisors.”

He confirmed his choice, and a moment later, two silver dice landed in his palm.

“…Fuck.”

“What?”

“What does this look like to you?” Priam asked, handing one of the dice to Jasmine.

“A die?”

“Without numbered faces? If we both think ‘die’ just by looking at what everybody should call a cube, I’m afraid I understand why. Plus, my boxers just went down a size.”

“You scared of getting socks this time?” Jasmine teased before looking up. “You feel that?”

“The laws of Elysium. It's almost time to leave.”

[Time remaining on Proxima: 30 minutes]

“Finish your shopping. Only the Title left, right?”

Priam nodded, pulling up his general rewards.

Mythical Title (Selection Required)

You have survived a Quintuple Tribulation, and two incompatible Myths fragments present themselves:

Title upgrade: [Horseman of the Apocalypse]

New Title: [The Five Ages of Man]

Possessing one of these Titles permanently excludes the other.

“From religion to mythology,” Priam murmured.

As a lover of Greek mythology, he was almost certain the second Title referred to the five ages described by Hesiod. The poet had written about the gradual decline of human existence, from a state of harmony and perfection to one of suffering and decay. In a way, the concept echoed the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, whose arrival heralded the end of the world.

“I’d love an explanation, because this has nothing to do with the tribulations of my civilization,” Jasmine said.

“Well, let’s start with [The Five Ages of Man]. If I select this Title, I’ll likely have to choose one of the five ages—just like I chose Conquest, one of the Four Horsemen. I assume my choice would grant me a corresponding power.”

“You know the essence of these ages?”

“I read a children’s version of the poem when I was five,” Priam replied, grateful for his eidetic memory. “The Golden Age describes an era of perfection, where humans are immortal and at peace. Maybe a way to gain [Ageless] or [Senescence Resistance]. The Silver Age marks the beginning of decline but also humanity’s defiance against the gods.”

“That could complement [Iconoclast].”

“True, but I’ve got enough enemies for now.” Despite appearances, Priam had no desire to become the enemy of an entire universe. “The Bronze Age is violent and should synergize with [Hoplite Warpath] to turn me into a true spearmaster. Then comes the Age of Heroes… No idea what it would grant me, but it sounds impressive. Finally, the Iron Age—miserable, bleak, and unjust.” Feeling his eyes pulse, Priam paused. “Hecate’s New Moon seems interested in that one.”

“Feed your curse. Brilliant idea.” Jasmine’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “What about the upgrade for [Horseman of the Apocalypse]?”

“Either it’ll evolve into [Horsemen of the Apocalypse] and gain the other three powers, or it’ll specialize further into Conquest. I’m leaning toward the latter.”

“Your instinct?”

“My logic. Advancing from a Legendary Title to a Mythical one should have more impact than just stacking multiple Legendary perks. Strengthening Conquest would be a solid move, especially since I already have the associated Aura… On the other hand, it’s a concept with a strong destructive connotation.”

“Fitting for a Juggernaut.”

“True, but I’m more than that.”

Comparing the two Titles, Priam began to weigh the pros and cons. One thing was certain: he had to choose.

Status:

PHYSICAL:

Strength 915

Constitution 1 653 (+21)

Agility 1 256

Vitality 1 709 (+33)

Perception 888 (+4)

MENTAL:

Vivacity (D) 634

Dexterity 787

Memory 995 (+10)

Willpower 1 221

Charisma 894

META:

Meta-affinity (O) 1 110 (+7)

Meta-focus 633

Meta-endurance 1 145 (+23)

Meta-perception 558

Meta-chance 1 020 (+342)

Meta-authority 579 (+58)

Potential: 36 752 (+10 079)

Tier 0

Sun points: 2 143 444

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 16 hours 17 minutes 52 seconds.

Concepts:

• Breath (T0): 100% / Harmony
• Fire (T0): 100% / Unity
• Pyro (T1): 100% / Unity
• Mist (T1): 100% / Symphony

Bloodlines:

• Phoenix: 5% (+2%)
• Dragon: 3%

Tempering:

• Order Gate (Brain)
• Soul Gate (Right eye)

Rewards standing:

• Fusion Token - Skill (Epic)
• Affinity Token - Tier 1 (30%)
• Alien Concept fragment (7th Terror)
• Talent Token - Upgrade (Seraph)
• Revelation Token - Ideal Prerequisites (Epic) x2
• Colosseum VIP Token
• Minor skill Epiphany
• Seed of Potential x2
• Trophy Compass
• Experience Phantom Advisor - Skill (Epic - 1 hour)
• Experience Phantom Advisor - Supremacy (Tier I - 1 hour)

[Tribulation]: Two Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 29 days 18 hours 18 minutes 40 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 6 attributes > 1 200 / 1 attribute > 1 800

Tribulations ended and next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next!

/ANovelConcept