Chapter 172: Resolutions
The wings of the Phoenix subtly covered its beak; an avian equivalent of a grimace.
"I'm an AI based on the echo of a Phoenix Prince created from a diluted tear. As such, I have a limited ego and an impossible goal: to keep you alive until you kill my original. I'm as much on your side as one can be."
Priam relaxed his clenched fist before nodding stiffly. His draconic instinct whispered that the Phoenix was sincere, and this conversation held significance.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because what I'm about to tell you might not make you happy. You've lost someone, and that's tragic, but don't react like a child."
Priam couldn't believe his ears.
"I react like a child?" he repeated, bursting into a joyless laugh. "Sphinx trusted me so much that she followed me into another world. Since then, all I've done is disappoint her. She loved me, and I made her unhappy. To save me, she threw herself into the clutches of a psychopath. She could be tortured as we speak! Am I childish because I want to rescue her? What's the point of this damn System if I can't even save the ones I love?!"
As Priam finished his tirade, a terrifying flame burned in his eyes. The fiery reflections in his hair revealed the draconic anger simmering within him.
Seeing the compassion in the Phoenix's eyes, Priam calmed down.
"You're not angry at the System, but at yourself. You're rational enough not to rush into a hopeless rescue but feel like you're betraying her by refusing to sacrifice yourself needlessly."
Priam clenched his fists in silence. When his feelings were summarized like this, they seemed pathetic. Sphinx's life was invaluable, and he felt dirty for pondering, for refusing to throw himself into an impossible battle.
Yet, the Phoenix was right. Despite all his love for Sphinx, he was rational by nature.
"If you continue to progress, you will lose people," the Phoenix murmured. "You'll never get used to it, and it will hurt every time. Some steel themselves and silence their emotions. They never go far. The quest for the Zenith requires a rage and a will capable of conquering fate."
"... I will save Sphinx. At least, I'll try," Priam promised.
"Of course, but first, you need to create a plan that gives you a chance, no matter how tiny. Better a pragmatist who saves his friends than a passionate one who commits suicide with them."
"When you say pragmatist, I hear selfish," Priam murmured.
"A selfish person ready to face a Tier 4 to save his friend," the Phoenix pointed out. "Sphinx's trust in you is well-placed. The only selfishness you exhibit is thinking that everything depends on you. Let me be clear: you are weak. So weak that a Fallen didn't bother checking under his shoe after crushing you. That's why you're here."
Priam shivered, recalling Sumstreh's divine consciousness that had eclipsed his own. Thanks to exceptional rewards and a bit of luck, he had survived. Yet, he was nothing against a Tier 4.
"There must be a way to save her without necessarily facing Sums"
"Stop!" the Phoenix interrupted. "Your soul is marked; do not speak their name, it would attract their attention."
Priam nodded. Eve had said they should avoid mentioning that name as well.
"There must be a way to save Sphinx without confronting that monster," Priam continued.
The Phoenix nodded.
"Certainly, but let me give you some perspective."
Levitating with the help of his kinetic control and wings, Priam listened attentively.
"Sphinx is trapped in their Divine Kingdom. Upon reaching Tier 5, the soul can create a kind of mini-world; like Concepts Archipelago but larger and saturated with Tier 5 Concepts. For those who choose to become gods, it's called a Divine Kingdom because it can accommodate the souls of their followers. Normally, these worlds have a minimum radius of several kilometers. You tell me theirs is about two hundred meters in radius?"
Priam nodded.
"That's the impression I got. Maybe some part was hidden, but"
"No," the Phoenix cut in. "Two hundred meters in radius is certainly the size of their Domain. They must have synchronized their Supremacy and Divine Kingdom to stabilize the latter. That's the only reason they can retain it after losing their Tier. It's great news."
"How so?"
"If they can barely maintain their Divine Kingdom, there's little chance they'll kill your friend," the Phoenix said. "Sphinxes are masters of karma and enjoy certain powerful racial Talents. If they kill her, the backlash will resonate with their negative karma. They won't take that risk when they're in a position of weakness."
Priam's hearts palpitated with relief before a thought worried him.
"So, they'll forcibly convert her?"
"Depending on the purity of Sphinx's bloodline, that could be seen as an insult by her clan. They'd be signing his death warrant. No, I think they'll want to sell her."
The news hit Priam like a bomb.
"Sell her?!"
"Why not? If they can't use or kill her, it seems like the most logical solution."
"... Maybe I can buy her? With the help of a proxy, of course!"
The Phoenix burst into laughter. "Do you have money? Even if you could buy Sphinx back, this Fallen would still be a threat to you because of the soul mark he implanted."
"With time to analyze it, I'm almost sure I can destroy it," assured Priam.
"It will take them a fraction of a second to dominate your soul. If you succeed, they'll take Sphinx hostage. If you manage to free Sphinx, they'll understand the ruse and kill you."
"... Then they must die," Priam said. Of course, he had always intended to seek revenge, but he didn't think that moment would come so soon. "You say they're weak for a Tier 4?"
The Phoenix shook its head. "No, I said they're in a position of weakness. They can't leave their Divine Kingdom fragment without destabilizing it. In a few hours, it would be destroyed, and they would lose their divine advantages. Currently, all they need to do is restore their Divine Kingdom to become a Tier 5 again."
Priam hesitated for a moment before revealing his condition. "I triggered too many Tribulations, and I plan to upgrade my race to change my thresholds. I thought of merging our three genetic codes to create something superior."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "I know how you and I could mix our two genetic codes to create something new, but I'm not sure it works with three people."
"I don't mind flirting, Jasmine, but with my attributes, I only have a few resistances to level-ups left before dying permanentlywhich would result in your death as well."
"Fuck."
"As you say."
Jasmine cleared her throat. "Maybe you should get to work then? I'm not really in the mood to die."
Priam nodded. "I'll do that until the beginning of the event. I should need a bit of your blood and Myuri's."
"I'll find that for you. Anything else?"
"Go ask Kazuki for another suit like yours but adapted for Myuri. I want to give her a gift to ease our relations."
"Better to ask for one of Hyshana's kimonos then; Myuri isn't really a fan of close combat."
"I'll let you handle it," Priam replied, standing up. Jasmine vanished into a shadow, and Priam looked up at the sky. A crimson sphere engulfed the firmament.
Two days before the start of the event, the Necromoon was gigantic.
Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)
PHYSICAL:
Strength 420
Constitution 794
Agility 446
Vitality 680
Perception 654
MENTAL:
Vivacity 383
Dexterity 475
Memory 218
Willpower 832
Charisma 499
META:
Meta-affinity 408
Meta-focus 326
Meta-endurance 256
Meta-perception 201
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 15
Potential: 3427
Tier 0
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.
Necromoon Event : 2 days 16 hours 43 minutes.
[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 172 days 18 hours 26 minutes 16 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800
