The last time Priam had stepped into the heart of the Aelbe district, it had been in a timeline since erased. With Back in Time in his pocket, he had done a bit of prospecting among the tribal camps while trying to rally support against Sumstresh—and snag a pair of ideal skills. Back then, the Aelbe quarter had amounted to little more than a sprawl of tents and crude huts.

Today, even with the rest of the camp modernizing fast, not much had changed here. Priam and Kazuki wandered through a dense jungle of wooden scaffolding, leather-draped walls, and rooftops woven from palm-like leaves. Clearly, the Aelbe weren't the sort to trouble themselves with anything as tiresome as solid construction.

And with flimsy walls came a distinct lack of privacy. At least ten times already, a gust of wind had flapped open a tarp for someone behind it to flash Priam. Regardless of age or gender, the residents simply winked at the startled Champion.

"No wonder Rohan's a shameless flirt, his clan's full of perverts," muttered Priam, cheeks flushed. He now knew exactly how far these feline humanoids took their grooming habits.

"I wouldn't have taken you for a prude," Kazuki commented.

"You're one to talk. I bet you've only ever been with your wife."

"Hyshana is extraordinary," the general replied, calm and proud. "No one else could offer me anything worth having." He ducked beneath a taut cable stretched across the alley. Braided ropes crisscrossed the walkways above them, serving either as ziplines or tightropes for the more acrobatic locals. Most Aelbes preferred journeying above to walking on solid ground. "But I'm an outlier. Among hoplites—and even more so among warriors—sex isn't taboo. When death lurks around every corner, life doesn't wait. What are human morals like?"

Priam shrugged. "Depends on the country, the religion, how someone was raised… Some people won't show so much as an ankle. Others leave nothing to the imagination."

"It's surprising you maintained such cultural diversity, considering your planet had instant communication."

"Internet smoothed out the edges," Priam admitted. "But since no megalomaniac ever managed to unify our world the way Taishi did with yours, we held on to local traditions."

Kazuki grunted. "My people prefer the term historic figure. Whatever the blood he spilled, Taishi brought an end to some horrific practices."

"History's written by the victors," Priam said, pausing to let three children dash past. "From Alexander the Great to Napoleon Bonaparte, even Genghis Khan—humanity never lacked conquerors. However, none of them are hated in their own countries, even though they bled the rest of the world dry. So who's to say Taishi's influence was really for the better?"

A wind snapped through a nearby sheet, offering Priam an unsolicited view of a naked Aelbe elder. He closed his eyes, sighing.

"I was talking about sex, and you pivoted to politics," Kazuki teased. "Unless the subject makes you uncomfortable? If so, I apologize, my friend."

Priam shook his head. "No. Sorry, I think I'm just a little on edge…" He trailed off, realizing his thoughts were drifting into darker territory, then cracked a smile. "You're trying to distract me from our last conversation."

Kazuki was such a remarkable warrior, it was easy to forget he was also a leader.

"Not distract. Just clear your mind a little. War is heavy enough without forcing your conscience to carry all its weight. Especially when you have done everything to limit the enemy's losses."

That last sentence had been spoken in French. If stone walls have ears, then canvas ones have twice as many. Any spy listening in would struggle to follow a foreign language.

"Translation: you're worried about my mental health. That's sweet of you."

"Cease your jests. I have seen soldiers and assassins kill without blinking. You are not that breed, Priam. So far, every life you've taken has been in self-defense. Now we are shifting to the offensive, and your conscience is raising moral questions. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know. Plus, what is offensive if not preemptive self-defense? Those Tier 4s want me dead—some have already tried—so they deserve what's coming."

"I'm not the one you need to convince."

Priam winced. "Touché." He kept walking, letting his senses soak in the Aelbe atmosphere. Vivid colors, spiced aromas, high-pitched cries and piercing laughter—despite the looming tournament, the catfolk were as relaxed as ever. "You wanted to know about human morals?"

"Yours, especially."

Priam raised a brow, prompting Kazuki to elaborate.

"All warriors talk about sex before battle. Or about money, which they'll waste on booze and brothels," he added, stepping over an Aelbe passed out in the middle of the road. "The shadow of violence stirs the primal instincts."

"We're all slaves to our hormones," Priam admitted. "As for my personal customs—I enjoy sex as much as anyone, but I prefer to keep love games private."

Kazuki arched an eyebrow. "Private as in solitary. Last I heard, you have no partner to play with."

Priam growled.

They found Rohan lounging on a bench, barking instructions at two Aelbes brawling inside a dirt ring.

"Pull his hair! Thumbs in the eyes! Bite his ear off!"

Priam grimaced as one of the fighters obeyed, ripping his opponent's earlobe off with sharpened teeth. The grimace deepened when the victor began chewing.

"I yield!" screamed the wounded warrior, dragging himself toward what passed for a healer.

The winner roared with laughter and gave Rohan a high five. A few moments later, he staggered off toward the festivities. As he passed, Priam caught the pungent reek of alcohol.

"Fighting drunk doesn't seem like the best idea," he commented, stepping forward.

"Pfft, I dare you to find one sober adult in this camp," Rohan shouted cheerfully. "We're celebrating my win today!" He turned toward Priam, grinning. "Good to see you!"

"For real?"

"You doubted me?"

Priam dropped onto the bench beside the Aelbe. "You lot are as mercurial as cats. I figured it was a coin toss: either you accepted my friendship, or your father was waiting to ambush me."

Rohan's smile widened, fangs on full display. "And you came anyway? Now that's what I call tiger balls!" He reached down to grab a mug and chugged it in one long pull. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he gestured toward Griffe's tent. "To be honest, our shaman wanted you dead. She raised me, and she didn't take it well when you beat the crap outta me in front of twenty thousand people."

"Your father refused?"

"Would've looked bad for our rep if we murdered you after you spared me."

"As if your reputation matters more than your survival," Priam snorted. "The real reason?"

Rohan laughed. "For a guy who hates politics, you've got a good read." His eyes locked with Priam's. "Father figured our odds of killing the Juggernaut weren't a sure thing. So no assassinations today."

"And tomorrow, after I reveal more of my hand against White Fangs?"

The Aelbe shrugged. "If you win against my cousin, we'll be counting on you to beat our rivals in the Tier 2 finals. If you lose, we'll have no more reason to come after you. Either way, you're in the clear."

"Makes sense."

At the far edge of the training ring, the mutilated Aelbe was clutching what remained of his ear, whining at a healer who didn't look particularly sympathetic.

Half out of politeness, half because he genuinely pitied the injured man, Priam asked, "Think he'll be able to get his ear back?"

"Not unless he's willing to burn one of the eight lives he's got left."

"Harsh."

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Life's harsh for the losers," Rohan replied, shaking his empty mug. A moment later, a scandalously dressed young woman appeared to refill it. The Aelbe of the hour wasn't allowed to go dry. "Except mine," he continued once the waitress had strutted away. "Everyone's cheering me like I'm some kind of hero."

"You secured one of the two victories your clan needs to survive," Priam pointed out.

"Because I fought the weakest Champion." Rohan glanced up at Kazuki. "You think I could've taken you?"

"No."

Over the past month, Kazuki had progressed at a startling pace.

"Not here to stroke my ego, huh?" Rohan drank and winced. "This wine's even more bitter than my mood."

The three warriors sat in silence as the young master drained his cup.

"I'm barely twenty, and my life's already over."

"Bit dramatic, no?"

"If only… Most of my clan thinks I stayed in Tier 0 to rack up Titles and Achievements. After all, a Tier 1 can't qualify for Bronze anymore. Plus, every Tribulation I overcome now is one less to face after ascending. Solid reasons not to rush, right? My father and our shaman drilled it into me: a strong foundation is essential to reach for the Zenith… The truth is, Tier 1 matters even more. It's the first baptism of the soul, where aether carves the tools one needs to master Concepts and Supremacies. Before that, we're just kids swinging blades too big for us."

"So why linger in Tier 0?"

Rohan sighed and looked Priam in the eye. There was no anger, no bitterness—just despair.

"Because I didn't need to rush. My father and Griffe knew I had no shot at becoming an Ace II. Unlocking a Tier 2 Concept, Micro II, Domain II, and Mastery II within ten years? It's too short for me. Better to get as many Bronze Titles as possible. You guys are different. Everyone in my clan is out there partying like I just saved the world, but I know the truth. That was it. My one win. Today's the high point of my life… and it's all downhill from here."

Priam said nothing. Rohan saw things clearly and didn't need comforting lies.

A joyless laugh caught him off guard. "Alright, I think I've whined enough. You two came for [Art of Movement], right?"

"That was the deal."

"Right. Well, kinda like the Gu Trial from the Snaherts, our clan developed athletic trials to unlock rare and epic ideal prerequisites. Most take months to complete, but you're not the type to let stats chain you down, are you?"

"Not really my style," smiled Priam. "That said, I wouldn't mind walking away with an upgrade tonight."

Who could say if the Aelbes would still be breathing tomorrow?

"Greedy, huh? I like that. If you're willing to tell me which prerequisites you've already got, I might be able to steer you in the right direction."

Priam raised an eyebrow. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have revealed anything. After all, he was due to face the Aelbe Tier 2 representative tomorrow. However, the tournament was nearing its end, and the idea of missing out on the upgrade gnawed at him.

"I maxed out [Art of Movement] about a month ago…"

Lvl Up: [Art of Movement] lvl 40 AGI+1 PERC +1 DEXT +1

[Art of Movement] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available:

[Art of Micro - Epic] - You wield body Supremacy to finely control your every motion. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 [Free Running - Epic] - You completed Container Ride, the Arkana Research Center for Shadows and Darkness' trial. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160 [Kinetic Motion - Epic] - Your affinity with [Kinetic Sovereignty] allows you to infuse extra energy into your movements. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160

"I'm guessing [Free Running] refers to some kind of obstacle course?"

"Yup."

"Mmh. Then I can offer you eight more prerequisites: speed, endurance, balance, stealth, combat, verticality, turns, and quadrupedal."

Priam let out a low whistle. "Whoa. That's, what, ten total?"

"Eleven, if you count the free one from having an ideal rare skill. Three thousand years of R&D," Rohan grinned. "You've already got three, so pick two more."

Ideal skills required five prerequisites. If the user had more, they had to cull some, which was an opportunity to shape the final form. A good problem to have, as that allowed for precise build tuning. For Priam, the choice was almost obvious.

Endurance was redundant as [Iron Marathon] already let him handle long-distance travel. He could have fused it with [Art of Movement], but hadn't, for a simple reason: his main mobility skill was meant for enclosed environments. For open terrain, he preferred [Kinetic Sovereignty].

Lvl Up: [Iron Marathon] lvl 20 AGI +3 Lvl Up: [Kinetic Sovereignty] lvl 3, 4 PERC +18 META (Focus) +18 META (Perception) +18

Balance was discarded for similar reasons. He had been training the skill for a month, and didn't want to dilute it—at least, not at the Epic tier.

Lvl Up: [Balance] lvl 23,..., 28 AGI+6 DEXT +12

Same with stealth. If he hadn't been so talented as a mage, Priam might have walked the path of an assassin or a rogue. He had always loved those kinds of stories and builds in games. And now I'm stuck playing tank because of [He Who Eludes Death]... Well, at least I'm still alive.

If that wasn't enough of a reason, he had another: with Jasmine on his team, it would have been idiotic not to train in stealth. And not just because the professor was hot.

Lvl Up: [Phantom] lvl 11, 12, 13, 14 AGI +24 DEXT +12

The same logic applied to combat. [Battle Footwork] already covered that angle, and Priam wouldn't merge it with [Art of Movement] as he wanted a war-dedicated skill. Even if he wasn't as naturally gifted as Kazuki or Jasmine in athletics, he knew he could catch up by weaving a Concept into the skill. Hence why he had been working to mimic the erratic movements of mist in combat to throw off opponents. After a month, he was close to a breakthrough…

Lvl Up: [Battle Footwork] lvl 36, 37, 38, 39, 40 AGI+10 DEXT +5

That left verticality. Priam had [Climbing] for scaling cliffs and walls, but it was only a common skill. In forests or mountains, there were no straight lines. Worth investing. Same with speed and turns.

After a few seconds, quadrupedal movement got axed too. Priam wasn't shameless enough to run on all fours, even if it was the superior option in nature.

"Let's go with speed, verticality, and turning."

"That's three prerequisites," noted Rohan.

"I know. One must find ways to pass the time until noon!"

Status:

PHYSICAL: Strength 1 249 Constitution 2 083 Agility 1 637 Vitality 2 092 Perception 988

MENTAL: Vivacity (D) 666 Dexterity 891 Memory 1 152 Willpower 1 298 Charisma 990

META: Meta-affinity (O) 1 398 Meta-focus 886 Meta-endurance 1 584 Meta-perception 842 Meta-chance 1 089 Meta-authority 768

Potential: 34 005 Tier 0

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending. Future Tribulations delayed until: Time: 2 months 11 days 19 hours 47 minutes 3 seconds.

Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 900 / 3 attributes > 1 800 / 1 attribute > 2 100

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