A Novel Concept - A death a day, MC will live anyway!

Chapter 97: Showdown: King vs Champion

Blueberry advanced with difficulty. Following his trail, a group of humans were stalking him. The liters of blood he was losing weren't helping him outrun his adversaries. He had tried to confront them, but despite his physical superiority, his enemies were professionals. Their teamwork was impeccable. They must have known each other for a long time, for they had started communicating in signs when they realized that Blueberry understood their language.

So, he was forced to flee, using his skills to widen the gap between them. Unfortunately, his injuries were affecting his stamina. His body was becoming heavy, but Blueberry remained hopeful. He was almost there. In the distance, a half-destroyed dome indicated the location of New Earth.

In his arms, he held the treasure that had triggered the greed of the group of humans. In the sunlight, the Crimson Fruit glistened.

"It's just ahead!"

The ursid cursed in bear language. Gathering the last of his strength, he accelerated. Hurry up Priam, or all you'll have left will be crimson seeds!

[Land Owner] informed Priam of the presence of any individual on his territory. For example, he detected Sphinx, who was currently visiting the Ducal Palace. He was surprised she hadn't started her visit with him, but she must have had a reason.

His friend was not alone. Beside her was Rose. Priam sighed, thinking of the young orphan.

Anatole deserved death, and Priam had given it to him. He had no regrets about what he'd done; the man would have destroyed humanity in his quest to resurrect his family. Justice was on his side, but Rose had every right to hate him. Priam didn't know how to react to the young girl.

As he reached the second floor of the Colosseum, he shook his head. There were more important matters at hand. Using Micro, he refocused. The mist concept trembled before covering his useless thoughts.

With his back straight, Priam pushed open the door to the arena.

Beneath the sand, the stone floor was magically reinforced. The bleachers were packed. Some three hundred people had taken their seats. Priam smiled as he felt the weight of their attention. He raised his hand in Maya's direction. The Mercenary leader had come with a few of her men. Analyzing the power of the Champion of Humanity was undoubtedly one of her missions. Maya smiled and returned his greeting.

Priam's attention then turned to the man in front of him.

[Identification]

[Prometheus - King by Divine Right] - A king's duty is to protect his people. Prometheus places his duty above all else.

As usual, the description of the System was brief. In fact, it didn't do the man justice. Priam had already seen him from afar, but now that he was observing him up close, his aura was undeniable.

Tall, with silver hair and tanned skin, Prometheus analyzed him in return. The warrior king exuded an intense aura. He was used to wearing his armor. Two hundred points of charisma. Priam's new instinct told him this was the limit below which it was impossible to fully deploy someones power against the Divine King.

Priam smiled as he felt his competitive spirit roar. He deployed the full intensity of his aura.

Conversations fell silent instantly. Priam's Domain, his various bloodlines, the superiority of his race, his exceptional charisma doubled by [Primogenitor] and the mist concept merged to create an oppresive atmosphere.

Most of the audience shrank back in their seats, trembling. Only the warriors maintained any semblance of control, but [Moon Mist] could detect the profuse perspiration of some of them. New discovery: Charisma can be used offensively.

Prometheus' reaction was highly controlled. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he nodded.

"Thank you for agreeing to the meeting, Lord Priam."

"It's only natural, Lord Prometheus."

The King smiled as he heard Priam deny him his title. Priam returned the smile. He also withdrew his aura, allowing the spectators to breathe normally again.

"I'll be brief, because I don't think anyone here has time to waste. Before we fight, could we have an explanation of what happened here?" asked Prometheus.

Priam nodded. His mist perception told him that Mercury had just nodded. Everything was ready, and the show could begin. The Lord of New Earth deployed his charisma and activated the dome.

"For those who don't know me, I'm Priam Azura, the Champion of Humanity, he introduced himself to the large audience. Without information about my Tribulations, I had to flee to stay alive. A clue from the System directed me to New Earth. I wanted to use the barrier to temporize my Tribulations. Unfortunately, their power took me by surprise. Hundreds of inhabitants were unable to shelter from the Tears of Damocles in time or were hunted down by the locusts. Some died under attack by the former Lord of New Earth, others by locals who took advantage of the chaos to settle their score."

Priam paused, aware that he was being listened to by the entire population of New Earth. Unbeknownst to the spectators present, part of humanity was hearing his speech. They would also see the fight.

"This new Universe wants to crush our cohesion. The Revenants are attacking us from within. Outside, other civilizations want to see us fall. Humans now participate in factional wars that have nothing to do with us. Our only chance of surviving the next Reunions and the next civilizations wars is to be united," declaimed Priam, looking at each spectator.

Finally, he turned to Prometheus. "Of course, this must not obscure my responsibilities. Despite my ignorance, despite my will, the Tribulations the System unleashed against me killed innocent people. It is partly my fault, and I don't wish to hide the truth. To redeem myself, I intend to help humanity, starting with the survivors and the victims' families. The wyverns body will be auctioned off. The proceeds will go to the injured, the families and the search for their loved ones."

Priam paused to give the survivors time to digest his words.

"I can't resurrect them," he declared. "However, I will do what is in my power, now and in the future, to help humanity. I will be one of the pioneers to protect humanity and pave a safe path for our children. I will be the Spear of humanity."

Priam remained silent and listened to [Lord Owner]. Seconds passed as the Title remained silent, and stress began to rise in Priam. Suddenly, a trickle of approval flowed through him. The trickle quickly turned into a torrent. Other emotions were also present, some positive and some negative. He hadn't managed to convince everyone.

Nevertheless, he had convinced most.

Priam was relieved. Humanity's cohesion was more important than his regrets. He had told no lies as he intended to be humanity's spear. Not its shield. He would leave that role to the man in front of him.

Prometheus nodded slowly. "Good. Everyone will make up their minds. I'd like to add for the citizens listening that Earl Priam Azura also came to the aid of hundreds of inhabitants yesterday for over twenty hours. That's why we're facing each other today in a one-on-one arena. Without it, myself and my army would have fought to the death against a tyrant."

Priam raised an amused eyebrow at the thinly veiled threat. Another part of his conscience admired Prometheus's courage - or temerity. The man was thoughtfully prepared to die for his ideas and humanity. Or maybe he thinks he has a chance... Time to wake him up.

"Let's get started if you don't mind," suggested Priam.

Prometheus stood guard and donned his helmet. Priam invoked Promise and pulled his cloak of mist tighter around him. Showing himself naked to all the human race was not part of his plan. The fog shook before revealing his spear. Priam seized it.

I've connected this Colosseum to the network. The fight will be projected onto the facades of all the Colosseums in Reunion. Show them who their Champion is, Bechar's voice whispered in his ear. Priam smiled.

It was time to give these people something to dream about. For the rest of his reign, every Prometheus action would highlight Priam's power in the eyes of the human race.

A gong sounded.

Using Micro to the full, Priam accelerated. A second later, he had crossed the fifty meters separating him from his adversary. Reaching out with his arm, he brought Promesse back in an arc designed to decapitate Prometheus.

The King raised his sword and intercepted the attack. Priam transmitted a tenth of his kinetic energy reserves. The swordsman took off like a cannonball, accelerating from zero to a thousand kilometers per hour in a fraction of a second. The next instant, the King crashed into the circular wall of the arena. Supernaturally solid, the wall did not tremble.

Prometheus collapsed to the ground, and Priam winced. Perhaps he'd overdone it. This kind of attack was capable of incapacitating a Viscount.

Coughing, the swordsman slowly rose to his feet. His golden eyes stared back at Priam, and he snapped back into guard. This time, a golden flame enveloped his blade, and Priam squinted. His instincts told him that his constitution would not protect him. A Mastery?

Priam got back into position. He was there to put on a show, after all.

Leaping forward, he broke through the mist and came face to face with the Divine King. [Spear Strike] guided his strike, and Prometheus blocked again. His speed was uncanny, his arms blocking faster than his body would let on. An acceleration skill!

Suddenly, a Domain compressed Priam. His eyes widened as he summoned his own Domain. The sensation disappeared, but Prometheus' blade was already too close. A block of water of ultra-condensed mist appeared to slow the attack. Prometheus' flame evaporated the water. [Kinetic Control]. Promesses shaft parried the attack, sending Priam reeling backward.

Pressing his advantage, Prometheus advanced. His attacks were swift, precise and powerful. [Battle Flow] began to activate, and [Draconic Instinct] roared. Priam parried high and low, then dodged a blow.

Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 13

AGI +1

Despite his advantages, Priam retreated. His opponent was a true warrior who knew how to use a sword. Fortunately, his physical and mental advantages enabled Priam to withstand the barrage of blows that assailed him.

Prometheus's sword became blurred, and Priam's instincts stirred.[Focus], [Bullet Time]. Promesse trembled in his hand, and Priam smiled. For the first time, he had the opportunity to learn.

His perception synergized with his Domain and mist to capture Prometheus's movements. The King's speed suddenly doubled, and Priam activated [Kinetic Control] withhis Domain. The warrior slowed for a moment. Priam took the opportunity to drive his spear forward. Promesse approached the King's face, who smiled. Crap.

The King's Domain activated, countering Priam's. Their Supremacies were of equal strength. Recovering his speed, Prometheus lunged, trying to pierce Priam. Promesses long reach was a problem for quick defense. Priam thus teleported his weapon into his left hand and parried, laughing.

Lvl Up: [Battle Flow] lvl 4

PERC +1

DEXT +2

You have gained the skill: [Parry - common].

[Parry - common] - When attacked, you can either take, block or dodge. Dodging is often the best solution, but if that's impossible, knowing how to parry an attack can be useful. A good parry can enable a counterattack or help you reposition yourself. Blocking isn't just about stopping an attack. A fight must be fluid, don't forget that.

There is a block skill, too, but it's for social network fights.

STR +1

A kick in the sand, accompanied by a kinetic charge, forced Prometheus to cover his face. Some of the grains embedded themselves in his skin, and the King grunted. Priam thrusted, and only Prometheus' Domain warned him of the attack.

The King blocked and counterattacked. Priam resumed his defense. His skills enabled him to understand attacks, and his instincts warned him of feints. Little by little, his Vivacity analyzed his opponent's style.

Lvl Up: [Spear Strike] lvl 6

STR +2

DEXT +1

Thirty seconds into the match, Priam wasn't yielding ground down anymore. Promesse trembled in his hand, sending a feeling of happiness to its bearer. The spear was happy that he was improving.

Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 26

PERC +1

VIVA +1

DEXT +1

Priam smiled. His mastery of the spear was increasing, and he was beginning to glimpse the path to the last Supremacy.

Suddenly, Prometheus stooped and attacked his legs. Priam's instincts shook, which saved him. [Broad-spectrum vision], [Aether Perception]. His skills revealed the truth: Prometheus could manipulate light and the attack was covered in an illusion. The Kings error was that he only manipulated the visible spectrum. I can still see it in the infrared!

Lvl Up: [Broad-spectrum vision] lvl 2

PERC +1

Priam pretended to fall into the trap and planted Promesse in the sand, as if to block Prometheus' phantom attack. The real blade reached his shoulder and came to rest on the cloak of mist. It locally solidified into ice to stop the weapon for an instant. Meanwhile, a spike of ice, created in the King's back, was fired. [Kinetic Control].

POT -5

Prometheus twisted and dodged the attack, which penetrated Priam's cloak of mist. The ice spike fused with his coat, and Priam squinted. The spike had been manipulated to narrowly avoid Prometheus. According to [Aether Perception], at least six skills had been used to slightly deflect its trajectory. Something's wrong... He's got too many skills.

There seemed to be some kind of aether link between Prometheus and other external sources, but Priam's perception was too weak to trace the connection.

Prometheus stood up with a smile.

"I think we can go all out. I'm here to discover my limits, not to teach you how to hold your spear.

Priam burst out laughing. "You're digging your own grave."

It was time to impress the audience.

[Moon Mist] activated fully, and a torrent of mist appeared in the arena. Prometheus raised his blade. "[Mastery - Sword], [Judgment]."

His body began to tremble, and Priam activated his Potential momentarily. The whole arena was covered by his mist, and [Kinetic Control] helped him create hailstones.

POT -30

Prometheus threw himself forward as a tornado of mist lifted.

Priam disappeared into the mist. Surprised, Prometheus stopped in the center of the tornado. An instant later, thousands of steel concept-infused hailstones attacked him.

One after another, the ice marbles tried to riddle the King, and he quickly blocked them. Despite his speed, stopping a hundred attacks per second was impossible. Each hailstone had a speed of almost a thousand kilometers per hour. Blood was beginning to flow from some of the King's wounds. The hailstones should tear him to pieces... His Mastery is protecting him!

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 40

PERC +4

CHAR +2

META (AFFI) +3

[Moon Mist] has reached level 40. As an epic skill, a bonus is available. Choose one of these three options:

[Protective Mist] - [Bullet Time] is automatically triggered when bodies traveling at dangerous speeds pass through your mist. Your body is automatically merged with the mist. POT -30

[Storm] - Allows you to turn a small part of your mist into ice or water vapor. Requires a lot of energy. POT -30

[Domain and Concept] - Your Domain may extend faintly into the area your mist concept reaches. POT -30

Priam's body had merged with his mist, but his spirit smiled. The changes from the bonuses offered at level 20 were incredible. Priam hesitated for a moment before choosing [Domain and Concept]. The two words were important, and the bonus potential was great. [Storm] could help him master [Kinetic Control], but Priam had enough Potential for that. [Protective Mist] was almost useless with his new draconic instinct.

POT -30

[Domain and Concept] - Your Domain may extend faintly into the area your mist concept reaches.

Priam smiled, feeling his Domain begin to expand in the raging tornado. The sight must have been impressive, for some spectators were livid. Without the protection of the Colosseum, every hailstone was lethal.

Priam's perception was watching the battle. The King's wounds were piling up. Suddenly, with a howl of rage, Prometheus struck at the heart of the mist. His sword disappeared, as if sinking into the dimensional fabric.

Priam was everywhere and nowhere simultaneously, yet the attack hit him right in the heart.

When an iron Will backed a Mastery, nothing could stop it.

Instantly, the mist dissipated, and the hailstones fell to the ground. In the center of the arena, the two adversaries looked at each other. Priam raised his left hand and closed it on the sword's blade.

Prometheus opened his eyes wide as Priam summoned Promise in his right hand.

"[Tribulation Piercing Spear], [Kinetic Control]."

Promesse accelerated towards the King. He tried unsuccessfully to free his blade. As the weapon prepared to penetrate his head, half a dozen shields materialized around the King.

The Phoenix spear penetrated all defenses and stopped less than a millimeter from the King's retina. Prometheus trembled, his left eye wide open. A simple blink would have torn his eyelid.

"I win," smiled Priam. A spectacular victory after a fairly quick fight. Humanity had to believe him to be immortal and powerful, but he couldn't appear too arrogant. That was one of the reasons why he had kept the match going.

Prometheus stepped back and nodded. Priam dropped the sword, and the king looked down at his blade. He seemed to wonder how the attack had not destroyed Priam's heart.

"You destroyed it," smiled Priam.

"Hmm?"

Priam dissipated his cloak of mist slightly, revealing the wound. Prometheus widened his eyes as Priam activated the power of [Three-Headed Hydra] onceagain. His change of race had reset the Title.

In the space of three seconds, the wound closed, and Prometheus sighed.

"I didn't stand a chance."

"Not really, no. But you're an impressive warrior," Priam acknowledged. Prometheus was more talented than he was as a human. The King had no alien Talent but was already superior to a Viscount.

"The Divine Army will always be on humanity's side," declared Prometheus in a powerful voice. "Despite his mistakes, I think it's better to let the Champion atone for his faults himself than to divide us further. Such is our Will!"

The King's charismatic aura reached a large part of humanity through broadcasting. The two men shook hands, and Prometheus departed. Tommas and Mercury were descending into the arena when [Land Owner] sent a message to Priam.

A Viscount had just entered New Earth. The Title gave him an aerial view, and Priam's eyes widened. Blueberry, covered in blood and gasping for breath, had just collapsed at the dome's edge.

Behind him, an armed group was approaching.

[Kinetic Control]. Priam flew away.

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

PHYSICAL:

Strength 236 (+5)

Constitution 373

Agility 278 (+1)

Vitality 330

Perception 458 (+8)

MENTAL:

Vivacity 278 (+1)

Dexterity 325 (+4)

Memory 70

Willpower 406

Charisma 336 (+3)

META:

Meta-affinity 219 (+3)

Meta-focus 167

Meta-endurance 119

Meta-perception 71

Meta-chance 198

Potential: 5813 (-53)

Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge OFF. Reloaded in 21 hours 13 min 52s

[Tribulation]: No Tribulation pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 182 days 21 hours 47 minutes 5 seconds.