Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 56
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +3
A fluid fire surged through him, pumped by the rhythm of his hearts. Seven detonations thundered inside the tank as tongues of plasma burst from his every orifice.
His add-on warned him: his high Constitution, ideal fire resistance, and absolute affinity with flames would buy him two seconds. That was all a Tier 0 could hope to survive against the might of a true Tier 3.
Two seconds were enough for the Juggernaut to claw a sliver of willpower from the agony and commune with Pyro.
Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 57
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +3
Lvl Up: [Poison Physique] lvl 2
CONST +6
VIT +3
Reaching Unity, Priam resonated with his Concept to turn into a torch. The agony only worsened. He had traded away the resilience granted by his constitution for the pseudo-immunity of his elemental form. The scorpion's flames no longer devoured his flesh—they consumed his will.
Had someone managed to peer through the tank’s opaque glass, they would have seen a specter of fire. In the heart of the golden inferno, an expert could have noticed green flame filaments. Interwoven, these threads formed a net, suffocating Priam.
He struggled physically to break free, but soon ceased—realizing the futility. Just as Pyro needed no air to burn, the scorpion’s venom needed no blood to poison him. It targeted him magically. His raw strength wasn’t sufficient to bend reality yet.
After a few moments, Priam calmed completely. In his elemental form, he was nearly immune to fire. Despite the gap between the Concepts’ Tiers, Pyro Unity had bought him a few minutes.
Pushing aside the pain through sheer habit, Priam analyzed the two options he had to rid himself of the poison.
The first was elegant: seize control of the enemy flames by eroding the will animating them. It was possible as the toxic fire had been severed from its source—the scorpion no longer cared about Priam. The mental energy infused into the four drops of venom wasn’t infinite, and Priam’s vigor could regenerate.
The second option, more brutal, was to unleash his own flames to drown out the venomous embers. A quick test showed the difference in Tier between Pyro and Plasma made this strategy impossible. Even as the paragon of fire, a Tier 1 Concept was nothing against a Tier 3 titan. After wasting a hundred units of aether to smother one of the invaders, Priam tried with his mist—and hit the same wall.
So it’s my will versus his.
Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 58
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +3
Seeing the notification as a sign from the System, Priam entered [In the Zone]. Activating his Domain, he hurled both thought streams into the fray, trying to extinguish the will infused into the venomous fire.
After a few seconds, his add-on detected faint progress. It was slow, but suppressing the order inscribed in the venom through his authority sphere was working. Priam threw himself into the effort with abandon; his will pitted against a command embedded in four pitiful drops of venom.
It was the mental equivalent of an arm-wrestling match between a rookie and a champion. Priam lost every round, but little by little, he was draining the enemy’s stamina.
Too bad my own endurance isn’t infinite…
Mentally exhausted from the Gu trial, Priam began to despair at his glacial progress. He was gnawing at the enemy’s will at a snail’s pace. As the seconds passed and the pain mounted, part of him thought about surrendering. Why keep torturing himself when dying would achieve victory just as well?
The closest analogy would be a sleep-deprived student trying to memorize formulas after an all-nighter. All the determination in the world sometimes wasn’t enough against a Herculean task. Even his competitive spirit had limits, and facing a master while still a beginner was just stupid. A tactical retreat could accomplish the same goal with less effort.
A tactical retreat? Let’s not kid myself—that’s surrender. And that pisses me off...
A few months ago, just before the System arrived, Priam would have thrown in the towel. But since then, he had lived through experiences that changed him. Had seen people ready to commit genocide to save their families. Had spoken with Tier 5s who didn’t care about the lives of the weak. Had learned his ex-girlfriend had died carrying his son. Had survived fourteen Tribulations to stand among the Champions, the most talented beings of their races.
The common denominator of all those feats was the same: since discovering the existence of magic, Priam no longer gave up. His ego refused to.
Fuck. I don’t have a choice now—not if I don’t want to look like a coward. Still in elemental form, Priam growled to steel his resolve. Death couldn’t make me surrender. Scorpion piss won’t do any better.
That declaration cemented his decision.
Lvl Up: [Free Will] lvl 33
WILL +6
CHAR +3
Revived by the level-up, Priam pitted his will against his foe’s with renewed fury. In the background, he could tell the Gu trial liquid had vaporized into a burning gas. The tank was now a sealed pressure cooker, its upper hatch closed by someone.
None of that mattered.
Priam focused solely on his battle. Once again, he stood before a deadly challenge. Once again, he danced with death.
In these moments, all distractions faded. The Juggernaut was nothing but tenacity and perseverance. Whether his soul burned or his ego eroded—he would not back down. With his goal in sight, the Champion endured.
Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 59
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +3
Almost there!
The golden, heat-radiating silhouette trembled, releasing a sound like a wildfire roaring. The environment, the tournament, even his friends—none of it mattered anymore.
Forty-three seconds after the sting, the Tier 0 was still holding on. If the scorpion hadn’t struck someone else first, survival would have been impossible. But another’s sacrifice gave him a chance. Like David against Goliath, the hero had spotted a flaw to exploit, and hope lent strength to his soul.
Inside the tank, the golden flames surged in heat and luminosity. Beneath them, a scorpion lazed among the smoldering ashes. The glass walls were beginning to glow red-hot. The container threatened to give way—but the Juggernaut still endured.
A Tier 0 was holding his ground against a Tier 3.
It was impossible. A line from ancient legends. And yet, it was happening—each passing second etching a new word into the myth of the hero. In response, his Aura surged, feeding the fire of one who dared challenge the unthinkable. Driven by his obsession—survival—the Homo Elysian raised his will against that of his oppressor. A spark against an inferno.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
But the spark was inexhaustible, and the inferno had no fuel left.
Lvl Up: [Free Will] lvl 34
WILL +6
CHAR +3
One moment, green flames crackled, poisoning Priam. The next, the will animating them vanished. It took the Juggernaut a few seconds to register it, and then a weary smile graced his lips. Finally.
Without a master, the venom was far less dangerous, but it still had to be dealt with. Priam could have just escaped, leaving it behind, but he chose to confirm his victory. It was brave—foolhardy, even—but the greedy dragon within him refused to leave a potential feat unclaimed.
The fire elemental condensed, regaining human form, and the gold of the flames shifted to beige. Priam reappeared, a grimace contorting his face as his veins and arteries glowed a vibrant green beneath his skin. His blood was still ignited.
Clenching his teeth to ignore the pain, the Juggernaut imprisoned the poisoned flames using his [Fire Champion Physique]. Time was once again against him.
Ignoring the toxic, overheated vapors in the vat, Priam closed his eyes and focused on the spark orbiting in his soul space. Pyro’s manifestation resonated with his will, opening a connection to the flames that now replaced his blood.
Pyro was special, and Priam was a Sage of the Concept. His affinity was absolute, and he had achieved Unity. That granted him the right to interact with the scorpion’s Plasma, an evolution of Fire… on paper.
As his soul reached out to the scorpion’s flames, it shuddered. Without the Baptism at the end of a High Tribulation, his soul was unworthy of communicating with a Tier 3 Concept. Its mundane nature forbade it.
A small smile tugged at Priam’s lips. Fire had fascinated him since childhood. How many times had he burned his hands reaching into it? The pain had never stopped him—and neither would the weakness of his soul.
As opposed to the machinations of the Seven with Mist, Priam hadn’t awakened Fire by design. It was simply his nature. So, rather than command the venomous flames to calm down, he asked them.
A simple request, not from a Phoenix chosen by Pyro, but from a kid who loved fire.
The flames obeyed.
The blaze vanished from his charred veins, and blood returned, bringing vitality and life with it.
Lvl Up: [Fire Champion Physique] lvl 60
CONST +3
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +3
[Fire Champion Physique - Epic] has reached level 60, its maximum level as an epic skill. Natural evolution to the Legendary Tier requires a connection with a Concept or Supremacy. Prerequisites met:
- Phoenix Bloodline (First atavism)
- Pyro Sage
- Soul burned
- Pyro Unity
- Fire Blood
- ̶P̶a̶r̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶s̶k̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶I̶d̶e̶a̶l̶ ̶q̶u̶a̶l̶i̶t̶y̶
Ideal Upgrade unlocked:
[Pyro Champion Physique - Legendary] - More than a body, a fiery soul.Potential Cost: 720
You have selected the skill [Pyro Champion Physique - Legendary].
POT -720
[Pyro Champion Physique - Legendary] - Most souls commune with Concepts. Yours embodies Pyro.
[Homo Elysian Obsession] allows you to transmit this affinity to your body, becoming the herald of flames. ‘Fireproof’ no longer does you justice.
A relic of a Candidate for the Eighth Throne, Pyro is more than an ordinary Concept. It bears the echo of a Law. Due to the low number of practitioners, it’s easy to gain authority over it, but in return… [Redacted].
The System won’t let me say more. Discard this Concept, or seek Nirvana.
—Signed: Your best friend, Thaal the Magnificent.
P.S.: Sales of 2 Die 4 are down, but no worries—the new collection just dropped.
CONST +9
VIT +3
META (Endurance) +6
META (Authority) +9
Tier 0 Soul legendary skill limit: 4/5
Priam reread the description three times before letting out a sigh. He had always planned to complete his Nirvana—whatever that was—to purify his Phoenix bloodline. Still, the Administrator’s cryptic message was disturbing. What had Thaal tried to say that the System had to censor?
“He did it on purpose, right? He could’ve edited the whole thing, but instead, he showed me that the System considers Pyro unique enough to censor a warning,” Priam muttered. Storing the info away, he turned to the last unknown element. “Fire Blood?”
The final prerequisite stirred his curiosity. Its origin was revealed in the next notification.
Title upgraded! [Bloodless - Silver] becomes [Bloodless - Gold]!
[Bloodless - Gold] - Blood, the human body’s regular transport medium, is traditionally liquid. Yours has transcended that state to become fire.
With this Title, Pyro integrates seamlessly with your body. Through your Concept, you control the fluid coursing through your veins—regardless of its form.
Journeying further down the path of Unity, you glimpse the place where all paths converge—the next stage.
The Phoenix in you cries out, recognizing your potential. Second atavism possible (10% bloodline purity required).
Your blood can now fuel your flames. The reverse is also true.
What should have ended your Story has been subverted by your ingenuity. Through this feat, this Myth fragment has been partially restored.
VIT +20%
META (Authority) +10% NEW
Status:
PHYSICAL:
Strength 1 245
Constitution 2 065 (+55)
Agility 1 631
Vitality 2 092 (+46)
Perception 988
MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 664
Dexterity 891
Memory 1 150
Willpower 1 298 (+17)
Charisma 988 (+12)
META:
Meta-affinity (O) 1 394
Meta-focus 880
Meta-endurance 1 568 (+38)
Meta-perception 842
Meta-chance 1 089
Meta-authority 768 (+59)
Potential: 33 989 (-692)
Tier 0
Sun points: 371 717 (+174)
[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 2 months 12 days 22 hours 46 minutes 13 seconds.
Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 800 / 1 attribute > 2 100
Next arc already complete on Patreon if you want to find out what happens next!
/ANovelConcept