A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!
Chapter 48: Bullet Human

Immediately after Albin's message, Priam received a notification.

Updated quest:

First Quest: Soon to be reunited?

You have discovered the origin of the Revenants.

Participation: 100%.

Two possible choices:

1) Reveal this information to humanity.

Reward: Title [Guardian of humanity], POT +50

2) Keep this information to yourself.

Reward: Title [Threat Killer], POT +50

Exceptional participation. Reward: Evolution token (Bronze title).

Reward chosen.

[Threat Killer - Bronze] - You're not the shield that protects humanity. You are the spear that destroys its enemies. This choice says a lot about you because you didn't hesitate for a moment. You're getting to know yourself better, and you don't look away when you meet your reflection.

Humanity fears monsters. Will monsters fear you?

You detect threats to humanity.

STR +10%

POT +50

First Quest: Soon to be reunited?

Eliminate as many Revenants as possible.

Next reward: Depending on your participation.

Bonus: Kill Anatole Aely'Samael, the Grand Master of the Cultists.

Reward: You can choose one soul to resurrect.

Bonus: Kill at least three of the six Revenant Generals.

Reward: Information about your family.

Bonus: Kill the Revenant Champion.

Reward: [Threat Killer] upgrade.

Difficulty: Gold

Priam burst out laughing as he read the notification. All he had to do was kill three people and he'd finally have information about his family. Thoughtfully, Priam theorized that the System's rewards should be tailored to the user.

However, the Baron was under no illusions. The reward would be hard to come by. The Revenant Generals might be scattered over several domes or even the entire Moon. But that wasn't important. The war between him and the Revenants had become too personal, and he had too much to gain. The Revenants had started this war and the System was giving him every reason to finish it.

Priam closed his right fist and clenched it. [Threat Killer - Bronze] offered eleven extra Strength points and Priam took a few seconds to get used to his new strength. His Dexterity helped him control his body perfectly, but thanks to Micro, he realized he was no longer entirely in control of his body. Priam constantly used his Supremacy to get used to his body, but this increase in strength was artificial.

When Priam gained Strength points with a skill, the increase was gradual and his body adapted naturally to his new physical strength. STR +1' was simply a System notification informing Priam of his new status.

"I wonder if it's the System or the aether that's improving my body..." wondered Priam.

"Aether and training," replied Sphinx. "The System simply shows you the best way to progress. Your progress is faster thanks to it, but it's mostly the aether that works its magic."

Priam squinted. "Even for the Titles?" he asked.

Sphinx remained silent for a few seconds. "I don't know..." She looked lost and Priam took her in his arms before pondering the problem. Understanding this new world and its rules was paramount if he was to become the best. Not the best player, but the best cheater...

Reflecting on his next fight against the Lord of Viracocha, Priam saw two possibilities for improvement. Firstly, stealing Anatole's urn to use the Corrupted Tear. Secondly, he hadn't forgotten that [Heartless], [Brainless], and [Axolotl or Hydra?] were ready to evolve and just needed a catalyst. The Evolution Token would do for one of them. But which one...?

"You've still got some progress to make, but I suppose it's a start," said Sphinx as she watched the dust from Albin's crystal blow away by the wind. Priam shrugged.

"You know, Sphinx, I've just started wielding the aether. For humans, it's quite normal to make progress. At first, we're rarely at ease, but with perseverance, we eventually get good."

Sphinx looked at him with eyes full of curiosity. "I understand... You're weak initially but strong in the end, right?"

"Right."

Sphinx looked at him for a few seconds, then said worriedly. "But you're still weak, Priam. When will you be strong?"

The young man blinked in a stupor. After a second, he answered, "I'm already the best of the humans. And it only took me about ten days," he said, puffing out his chest.

"I've only got three days and I'm stronger than you though," Sphinx replied innocently.

Priam looked at her for a few moments. Sphinx was messing with him. "You've got to be..."

Thunder echoed in Priam's skull. The world blurred before disappearing as the Baron was brutally struck on the chin. His body flew from its place, crashing a few meters away. The cathedral's roof was steep and Priam began to slide down it, half sliding, half rolling. As he reached the roof's edge, his body toppled over into the void.

On the way down, his head fell back and blood rushed to his brain. Oxygenated again, his brain woke up and Priam opened his eyes. The pain was intense, but Priam was focused on survival. Almost automatically, he used [Kinetic Control] to halt his fall. He hadn't seen the attack, so the opponent was good and a trap potentially awaited him below.

Five meters from the ground, Priam threw his body sideways with a kinetic charge, landing three meters from his initial point of impact. The cobblestones exploded where he should have landed. Priam raised his head in time, and his inhuman Perception picked out a sniper on a rooftop over two hundred meters away.

Without thinking, Priam charged forward. The pain was driving him insane and he wanted to hurt the sniper - he wanted revenge. Micro managed to calm his pain, but it sometimes overcame his control. Using [Kinetic Control], [Athleticism] together with [Art of Movement], Priam dashed. He was no longer thinking about Sphinx, the Revenants, or his own safety. He had been attacked and the enemy was going to die.

Priam was much faster than his mist, so he couldn't teleport next to the sniper. The sniper wouldn't have waited when he saw the mist advancing. It took Priam just under six seconds to run the two hundred meters. With a gigantic leap, Priam found himself on the roof of a hotel that had served as the sniper's hideout. Under his considerable weight - his Constitution increased his mass - the roof cracked.

Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 18

AGI +1

Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 17

AGI +1

PERC +1

DEXT +1

On the roof, with no one present, Priam closed his eyes and summoned his mist. It quickly invaded the hotel and the surrounding buildings, seeping into every opening. He would trample every room if he had to, but he was determined to find the sniper.

Suddenly, Priam opened his eyes and dodged to the right. A bullet passed by exactly where his head had been a moment before. Looking in the direction of the shot, Priam saw another sniper, and this one wasn't running away. Clenching his fist in anger, Priam stayed on the roof. A hunter never let go of his prey, and Priam wouldn't let his opponent escape.

Dodging another bullet, Priam continued to concentrate on his fog. He had successfully dodged cannonballs against Galapagos and had made progress since then. It wasn't a few bullets that frightened him.

Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 6

AGI +1

As the mist gradually invaded the area, Priam raised his hand to his chin to get an idea of his injury. He was worried because since Micro had given him control over his body, he could - and did - disconnect some of his nerves. However, despite this anesthetic, Priam still felt a handicap and an intense pain.

As his hand moved to where his chin was, Priam felt nothing and his heart missed a beat. He dodged a bullet then summoned his mist in front of him. The fog quickly became denser before forming a mirror of water.

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 18

PERC +4

CHAR + 2

META (AFFI) +3

Priam looked at his face for a moment, shocked. He looked like a Gueules cassées from the First World War. The sniper's bullet must have been something special because, despite its constitution, it had torn away the lower part of his face. His chin was gone, and Priam felt nauseous after seeing the damage. Of course, his various deaths had already mutilated his body, but he had never seen the damage - especially to his face. He was disfigured.

Priam's anger redoubled, and he kept the disgust at bay. He wanted to scream but had lost his tongue in the attack. His Vitality was doing its best to heal him, but the wound was severe.

The mirror rippled as a bullet passed through it. At that exact moment, his fog touched a human limb hidden halfway up a chimney in one of the hotel's fireplaces, and Priam rode on the mist. He arrived in the hearth of a fireplace beneath the sniper. Looking up, Priam contemplated the tip of a gun barrel. The sniper fired.

[Bullet Time]. [Kinetic Control]. Priam's anger gave him exceptional clarity of mind and he stopped the bullet as it struck his head at point-blank range.

Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 20

VIVA +2

DEXT +3

META (FOCUS) +4

[Kinetic Control] has reached level 20... Later!

His skill would wait until he'd slaughtered the fool who'd tried to kill him. Stopping the bullet was so easy now that he was ready. The sniper fired twice more and Priam stopped the bullets one after the other. When his magazine was empty, the soldier drew a knife and fell on Priam, screaming. He looked trained, but the difference in attributes with Priam was ridiculous.

Priam stopped the knife blade with his fingers, then dodged the man's feet before unleashing a titanic punch into the sniper's ribs. His hand sank into the man's body. The man was thrown against the chimney walls, and the following cracking sound would have made Priam wince if he weren't so angry.

Priam withdrew his arm and the man's body slumped to the floor. Priam didn't need to bend over him to know he was dead. His opponent's death calmed him for a moment. The man who had wounded him was dead. His new Title had never triggered. So the sniper was not a Revenant but an average human. He'd certainly heard about Priam and the reward for his head, then had decided to take a chance.

Priam looked for a moment at the weapon the sniper was using. He'd played enough video games to recognize an anti-materiel rifle. The Baron tried to sigh, but his body preferred to spit blood. Pain called him back to order.

A standard weapon could not pierce Priam's defenses - he was almost twenty times more resistant than an average human. But large-caliber sniper rifles could still wound him. Maybe even kill him if he was unlucky. If hundreds of trained soldiers started hunting him down, he had a real chance of dying.

Priam thought about the second sniper. This one hadn't done anything to him yet and was probably just trying to save his family. But he would certainly try to kill him again. The Baron was faced with a choice. Can I spare those who seek to kill me? Whether they are threats to humanity or not?

Priam inhaled through his nose and judged his future enemies. May their deaths be sweet. They were seeking to reunite with their families, but so was he. Between his life and those of strangers, his life would always come first, no matter how many strangers there were. He couldn't afford to die despite his many lives. It was a new world, and to survive, his morals had to evolve with his strength.

What's more, being ruthless with his enemies would deter some of them.

Of course, Priam still intended to hunt down and exterminate the Revenants. They had betrayed humanity and were his enemies. But anyone who attacked him would henceforth be considered an enemy. I want to be respected by my peers and feared by my enemies.

Before attacking the other snipers, Priam looked at his notifications.

Your Constitution has been sealed. Some of your skills are blocked and cannot be upgraded. These levels are in stasis. Break the seal to unlock them.

[Kinetic Control] has reached level 20, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options:

[Automatic Absorption] - [Kinetic Control] is automatically triggered to absorb the energy of bodies arriving at dangerous speeds. POT -30

[Agile Domain] - The precision of your control increases. Synergizes with Domain. POT -30

[Nimble Micro] - Theprecision of your control over your body's molecules increases drastically. POT -30

Priam observed his choices for a moment. He'd thought his skill would evolve when hitting level 20, but getting a legendary skill was more complicated than he'd expected. The cost in Potential was also annoying.

A Common skill gave him one point of Potential per level. Two points for a Rare skill and three points for an Epic skill. [Kinetic Control]’s twenty levelshad earned him sixty points of Potential. His skill became more powerful with this bonus, but only yielded thirty bonus points. I suppose it's a way for the System to increase the scarcity of Potential and manipulate us with quests.

The resource was far too scarce to squander. Priam had enough Potential to improve his skill, but he would have cried blood if he hadn't.

Priam reconsidered his three choices.

[Automatic Absorption] - [Kinetic Control] is automatically triggered to absorb the energy of bodies arriving at dangerous speeds. POT -30

The bonus seemed practical, but Priam was pretty sure it would become redundant with his future Domain. His mist already enabled him to perceive attacks from a distance, so there was no point in taking this bonus. Of course, if the enemy was too powerful, he could pass through his Domain and attack Priam directly. The automatic triggering of his skill would then save him from a kinetic attack.

However, at this level of power, the enemy would certainly have the means to kill him with a non-kinetic attack. Nope, next.

The other two were obviously focusing on his Domain or Micro. Priam didn't have a Domain yet and was likely to die soon. Playing the long game was only helpful if you could do it. He validated his choice.

POT -30

[Nimble Micro] - The precision of your control over your body's molecules increases drastically. Synergize with Micro.

Instantly, Priam felt his skill and Micro develop a new bond. Priam could already feel every part of his body. Now he could also individually influence each of his muscles to use the desired energy. Smiling, he decided to put his new skill to the test.

He took a few seconds to search the corpse before rising to his feet. Priam took one last look at the dead man. It was the first human he'd killed. The revenant who had arrived at the Dome didn't count. She wasn't human, but more importantly, Priam had been emotionally wounded and tortured a few hours before. He'd had no empathy for the murderess.

Conversely, he had empathy for the soldier. He had fought for his family and Priam respected that. He'd killed the man in self-defense, but he had no regrets.

The absence of a tongue and lower jaw prevented him from uttering a few words, but Priam knew he wouldn't forget the dead man. He wouldn't forget the sniper's weakness. He had been weak - that was his true mistake.

Someone could always kill me to get ahead on his own path. If I want to be free, I have to be the best...

Turning his gaze to the second sniper, Priam stepped forward and straddled the mist.

Priam stood in front of the snipers' hideout. After killing the second sniper, he'd heard a walkie-talkie crackle. He'd never been able to find the rest of their team, but Sphinx had come up with something. She'd watched his karma for a second before declaring that she'd discovered the enemies.

Priam had followed her for two kilometers before arriving in front of a building resembling a Roman bathhouse.

Shrugging, Priam entered and Sphinx followed in silence. Her little tail was dragging on the ground. She seemed sad that she had failed to protect her friend and had sprouted adorable-looking claws. However, this lovely picture was shattered because the claws easily sank into the ground.

Priam would have liked to comfort his friend, but pain prevented him from finding the right words. Even if he had the words, he still lacked the tongue to speak.

I'm a fool. I'm weak. But that will change...Priam promised himself. Sphinx looked at him for a moment before nodding. She understood him.

The interior of the building was quite empty. Sphinx took the lead and Priam followed. After walking for about ten seconds and down a flight of steps, they came to a door.

"They're behind it and there are three of them," said Sphinx.

Priam nodded, then lifted his leg before kicking the door open. He dashed inside without waiting for the debris to hit the floor. His eyes adjusted instantly to the dim light, and he spotted three men around a table. On the table was an impressive display of firearms.

Priam lunged at them as they each reached for a weapon. Priam threw his spear at one of the men and pierced his head. He reached the second just as the latter closed his hand on a gun. An elbow to the ribs took his breath away and Priam snatched the weapon from his hands. He wanted answers.

The third man hadn't had time to move before Sphinx had decapitated him. His headless body was still sitting on the chair and Sphinx was sitting on the table looking at the weapons.

The man Priam was holding whispered, breathless. "You're going to die. You don't know who you've provoked."

Priam's gaze was fixed on the back of the room and he barely heard him. In the darkness were five open crates filled with hand grenades.

Priam smiled. Santa Claus.

Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:

Strength 130

Constitution 197

Agility 146

Vitality 212

Perception 278

MENTAL:

Vivacity 167

Dexterity 152

Memory 38

Willpower 98

Charisma 109

META:

Meta-affinity 118

Meta-focus 85

Meta-endurance 61

Meta-perception 7

Meta-chance 46

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Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Tribulations are coming.

Time: 24 hours 48 minutes 53 seconds.

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