"Hold it."

Kazuki halted his precise carving and presented the wooden piece to Alain. The architect-carpenter-craftsman examined it from every angle before breaking into a satisfied grin. The hoplite's Spear Mastery allowed for such intricate cuts.

"It's perfect. I'll need three more like this, Kazuki, if you please."

"With pleasure, Alain," the hoplite replied in fluent English.

As the hoplite continued his meticulous work, Alain swiftly ascended Log-a-rhythm. He could have asked the magical tree to open a portal directly to its upper branches, but there was something satisfying about using his muscles to climb. Alain still remembered the weight of age and his atrophied muscles before the apocalypse. Today, he could reach the top faster than a monkey.

One of the upsides of the System, I suppose. Those who survive get stronger.

He passed Rose's and Sphinx's cabins a few seconds later, eventually arriving at a construction site. Log-a-rhythm had laid a large square foundation, and the beginnings of a structure were visible. This third cabin was meant for Kazuki and his wife.

In the center of the square wood slab, Alain found Louis sitting cross-legged with closed eyes.

"Apologies for interrupting your meditation, old friend, but I have work to do," he warned.

Alain waited a few moments for a response that never came. Furrowing his brows, he circled around his friend and crouched to face him.

"Louis?"

A snore answered him.

"LOUIS!"

"Huh? Oh!" The old man jolted awake, shouting. "You just ruined my meditation, you idiot."

"You mean your nap," chuckled Alain. "You need to move, I’m going to test a new technique."

"A construction one?" Louis asked as he stretched.

"Yes. I think it might help me level up my skills to rare rank," Alain smiled.

Indeed, his skill level-ups were becoming scarcer. [Carpentry] had plateaued at level 17, and [Construction] at level 16. So far, Alain had assembled cabins using pre-cut boards and vines - his seafaring past made him an expert in knots. Unfortunately, it was no longer enough to improve his skills.

"You'll use this?" Louis asked, pointing at the piece of wood in Alain's hand.

"I'm going to see if it fits well with another piece. Without tools, I have to use kigumi joinery."

Louis raised an eyebrow, and Alain explained.

"It involves fitting two complementary pieces of wood together. One has a tenon that slots into the mortise of the other."

Louis grunted, taking the piece from Alain's hands. He examined it from all angles before understanding.

"You're just inserting the male part into a female part. It's like making love but with pieces of wood. No need for complicated words."

"... Anyway, the point is to join pieces of wood without glue, screws, or nails."

"Smart. Reminds me, it's been a while since I've made love. Think Mirscella..."

"Sort it out with Mirscella," Alain sighed. "And mind your language around the kids."

"Priam is an adult."

"I was talking about Rose and Sphinx. Otherwise, it'll be Mirscella who will play the male part with her blades in your body."

Louis shuddered. Suddenly, Alain felt a presence caress his mind. According to Log-a-rhythm, Dishnu had returned. Damn.

"Take me down," he said aloud, ignoring Louis's surprised look. The square base of the construction site lit up before sucking him into the magical wood. A moment later, the tree gently deposited him at its trunk's base.

In the middle of the clearing, at the edge of Log-a-rhythm's barrier, Dishnu awaited. Despite the illusion that should have prevented it, the drya locked eyes with him, and he nodded in greeting.

Alain felt his heart tighten. Dishnu wasn't exactly an enemy, but he wasn't an ally either. He was here for Log-a-rhythm, and without Priam, the tree wouldn't hold out against the guardian of nature.

"Sphinx!"

A moment later, his son's friend appeared. Drool still trailed down her cheek, a sign that he had just awakened her from a deep slumber.

"Yes?" she asked in a sleepy voice.

"Go fetch Priam, please."

The request fully woke her. "But I thought that..."

"Right now," Alain interrupted. For the moment, Dishnu remained passive, waiting patiently by the barrier, but he didn't want to take any chances. Alain hadn't sent Sphinx looking for his son to respect the rules they had set, but they needed him now. Kazuki had confirmed he was no match for the drya.

"Understood!"

Sphinx focused for a moment, and soon a miniature portal appeared. She jumped in.

After a delightful meal, Priam and Urr took charge of the dishes.

"I'm pretty sure there's a monster haunting the city," Priam remarked, sponge in hand.

"Everything that lives on land is monstrous," Urr replied. "Our traditions advise against landing. Being on an island or a small archipelago for hunting some animals, cutting wood, and gathering aromatic or medicinal plants is fine. But the Continent? Too vast," Urr said as he handed Priam another plate.

Priam took it and vigorously scrubbed it in the water with the sponge. Quickly, the sauce dissipated into the liquid, much to the delight of a myriad of small fish.

"At first, I was shocked that you guys ignored such a massive area. Now, I guess it's not so strange. My planet was two-thirds covered by oceans, yet they were hardly known."

"Really? But there's so much to do underwater! Fishing, cultivating algae, speed races… Even betting on dolphin fights."

"You’re a bit young for betting, no?"

Urr shot him a surprised look. "Not really, I'm twelve thousand four hundred thirty-two days old."

"Twelve... You're older than me," Priam calculated, shocked. Taking leap years into account, Urr was thirty-four in Earth years. He was well of age. In addition, days on Valaryth seemed to last longer than on Earth, confirming that Urr was much older than Priam.

"And yet he still lives with his mother," a voice behind them said. Urr winced upon seeing his mother approach to collect the clean dishes. "Thanks for your help, Priam."

"It's only natural, ma'am. Thanks again for your hospitality."

"I was happy to have you. Don't hesitate to knock some sense into my son," Hurya said, turning on her heel.

"She babies me," the merfolk sighed after she left.

"She cares about you. You're her last present child," Priam reminded.

"Yes, and she hovers so much that I'm barely progressing anymore... You're younger than me, and yet you defeated a megalodon."

"Do you think you would have lost?" Priam had no idea about the tribe members' capabilities. Their leader was powerful, but were there other warriors?

"I wouldn't have won, but I could have escaped. I'm very fast underwater and can dive below eight hundred meters. Megalodons don't go down that deep."

"You can go that deep?" Priam asked, surprised. With his constitution and [Star Iron Body], Priam was almost sure he could match that record. But the pressure there became so immense that he doubted he could go much further. At least not with air in his lungs.

"Of course. Before their departure for Atlantis, I often trained under the deluges with my siblings."

Priam still hadn't figured out if Atlantis was a city, a kingdom, a tribe, or a legion. The only clues he had gathered were that warriors gathered there. Instead of asking taboo questions, he focused on a new term.

"The deluges?"

Urr burst into laughter. "Sorry," he apologized after a few seconds. "You know nothing about this world, and you're so curious, you sound like a child."

At least my mother doesn't baby me. Priam's thoughts drifted to his mother. Since the day his parents had divorced, his mother had never treated him like a child again. He had to grow up too fast, which was the beginning of a schism.

Seeing Priam remain silent, Urr cleared his throat and answered the question.

"Well, legend has it that almost five centuries ago, one of the last Tier 2s tried to Tier up. The world's laws summoned a Tribulation, but the aether was too poor. The warrior's soul couldn't be blessed, and the Tribulation never reached its final phase. Since then, the sky occasionally unleashes deluges. Those who withstand these torrential rains get a reward. The longer you resist, the better it'll be," Urr explained.

"Resisting rain and getting a reward? Interesting," Priam smiled, refocusing. Surviving calamities was his specialty. These deluges might just help with Heavenly Dragon...

"You said that Tier 2 couldn't become Tier 3? Was it related to his soul?" The Tier-up question particularly intrigued Priam.

Urr grimaced. "I don't know more. To reach Tier 1, I know you must go to Atlantis. On the surface, the aether density is too low. But remember, my knowledge is based on legends."

"That's okay, you've already helped me a lot, Urr. By the way, do you know where to find these deluges?"

"It's our scholar who informs us a few days before."

"I should probably talk to him..." Priam said thoughtfully. "I have so many questions.”

“So do I. One for you, one for me?” suggested Urr.

“Deal,” smiled Priam.

“I'll go first. Is Mirscella your wife?”

“What the fuck?! No! She's just a friend of my father's.”

“Oh…”

“My turn,” Priam said with a shudder. “So, we don't have the same System, right?"

"You and I? Of course not. Mine are the laws that govern Valaryth. Or rather, that governed. It's now just a fragment of a world, which is why the rewards on the surface are pathetic," Urr sighed.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"True, my System is more generous than yours," Priam confirmed. "I was rewarded for going down a hundred meters by my System, not by yours."

Urr burst into laughter. "You're a foreigner, Priam. Valaryth's laws won't strengthen an enemy."

Priam shook his head. "Yet, they granted me skill levels for going beyond five hundred meters."

"Impossible, I'm sure—"

Urr stopped, mouth wide open. In front of him, hovering above the water, a one-meter-wide portal had just opened. A deluge of aether poured out from the opening. Priam jumped to his feet, nearly summoning Promesse before recognizing the portal's creator.

Sphinx leaped through the portal and landed in the water. She let out a surprised cry before bursting into laughter.

"Hey Sphinx," Priam smiled to his friend. Her skill is more powerful than I thought to jump here. Or maybe it’s because Valaryth is a Tier 1 world?

"Oh Priam! Your dad wants you back fast, Dishnu's here," she replied, jumping onto the back of the boat and shaking off. Urr didn't dodge fast enough and received considerable water for his trouble.

"What?! I'm coming, let me just grab Mirscella."

"I'm here," the assassin replied, quickly emerging from the boat’s cabin. She looked critically at Sphinx's portal. "I hope there won't be an accident this time..."

"You're leaving?"

Mirscella turned to Hurya, who had just come up. "Yes. Thanks for… everything, Hurya. You too Urr," she smiled.

"Thanks," Priam repeated.

"Get home safe," Hurya said, staring pointedly at the portal.

"See you next time, Priam! Don't forget your promise about Atlantis!"

"Until next time, Urr," Priam smiled. "And I keep my word."

Without further ado, Mirscella jumped into the portal, followed by Priam and then Sphinx. The passage closed, leaving Urr and his mother confused.

"A strange boy," Titus remarked. Hurya turned to the Chief, who had just arrived.

"He has a good heart. You should have talked to him about our problems," Hurya sighed.

"He's still too weak."

"I'm not asking him to fight."

Titus's gaze turned cold. "You want to flee," he accused.

"I want our children to live."

"The sea has sheltered us for ten thousand years, Hurya."

"She is our mother, but no mother wants her children dead."

"We can save it," grumbled Titus.

"Many have died with that thought."

"I'll fight for this world."

"Then go, but don't drag our young ones with you."

"It'll be their decision,” Titus said, looking at Urr, whose gaze went from his mother to his Chief. A second later, he vanished.

The first thing Priam did upon returning to Elysium was to take a deep breath. The air laden with aether had been missed. Despite the dire conditions, his resistances in Valaryth had risen agonizingly slowly. It was frustrating.

The sight of his father dispelled his thoughts.

“Priam, thank god you're okay,” Alain said, pulling him into a hug.

“I... Sorry, Dad,” Priam replied, embracing his father. He had announced he'd be gone for a few hours and ended up absent for over a day. His father must've been worried sick.

With slightly reddened eyes, Alain released his son. “The drya's been waiting behind the barrier for three minutes,” he said.

“I'll take care of it,” Priam responded, directing his gaze towards Dishnu.

"You're an explorer, a lover of adventure."

"Maybe it's adventure that loves me," Priam replied. Despite the barrier, the drya had sensed he'd returned from another world. His aether skills were terrifying...

Mentally, Priam authorized Log-a-rhythm to open the barrier. The drya stepped into the clearing and stopped straight away. Kneeling, he reached out to caress a broken blade of grass. Priam, Alain, Sphinx, and all the others watched as the plant regenerated, straightening up before their eyes.

Apparently satisfied, the drya continued on, pausing now and then to invigorate a flower or restore a root. Two long minutes later, the drya reached Priam.

“Hello, everyone. I bring a gift for Log-a-rhythm,” he announced.

"As long as it's not a dowry," Louis muttered.

"That's very kind," Priam thanked, ignoring the old man. "May I know what it is?"

Dishnu placed one of his hands on his abdomen. His ribcage then opened, revealing a glowing root.

"The NecroMoon is approaching, and the forest will need protection. Log-a-rhythm grows fast, but a tree needs an ecosystem to thrive..."

Priam looked pensive.

"You want to bind Log-a-rhythm and the forest together?"

"I want to consecrate Log-a-rhythm as a lord. It will watch over the network that connects all plants, and in return, they will give it a share of their Potential."

Priam nodded. If it were possible, he was highly interested. There were numerous potential upgrades for Log-a-rhythm, and some were quite costly.

"How do you plan to do this?" he asked.

"Since time immemorial, it's been the role of drya Guardians to balance the forest. My predecessors established rituals," Dishnu explained.

"Okay, but I want to be involved."

If the drya attempted something - like "liberating" Log-a-rhythm, for example - Priam wanted to be able to react.

"You're his partner, it's better that way."

Priam placed his hand on the trunk of Log-a-rhythm before closing his eyes. Instantly, the system relayed the status of his tree.

Log-a-rhythm:

Current POT: 1043

Passive gain: 100 POT/day.

Available Themes:

Primo (100,000)

Tal Quercus (10,000)

Nature (1000)

Cocoa (500)

Sequoia (1000)

Tea (500)

Abundance - Life II (1000)

Abundance - Aether II (1000)

Protection IV (5000)

Tribulation Resistance III (2500)

Secret Passage II (1000)

Camouflage II (1000)

Attraction (500)

Underground (500)

Comfort (500)

Volume (500)

Water Control (500)

Land Owner II (1000)

According to Dishnu, upgrading Land Owner would strengthen the protective barrier and expand Log-a-rhythm's sphere of influence, making it easier to link the tree to the forest it would control. After a moment's hesitation, Priam confirmed the theme.POT(Log-a-rhythm) -1000Land Owner II activated…

All these themes appeal to me, but we'll see the rest later.

Log-a-rhythm's consciousness quivered as a portal opened between the tree and the Concepts. Its Potential surged, coursing through the tree from the deepest roots to the highest leaf. For a moment, its crimson hue began to glow.

Log-a-rhythm's domain expanded.

The next moment, the Potential crystallized within the tree before deactivating. Priam felt Log-a-rhythm's excitement - if a tree could feel excitement.

Log-a-rhythm:

Current POT: 43

Passive gain: 100 POT/day.

Available Themes:

Land Owner III (2500)

Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw Dishnu look up towards the tree's high branches. Taking advantage of the drya's distraction, he connected [Priam’s System] to Log-a-rhythm's consciousness. His tree sent him a question, and Priam ordered it to validate the connection.

[Connection with Log-a-rhythm: success.]

New command: copy Log-a-rhythm's consciousness.

The drya didn't seem like a liar, but Priam preferred to cover his bases.

He had no idea of the structure of his tree's consciousness. It was a gift from the system modified by the Crimson Fruit, an alien treasure. Was it just a budding artificial intelligence? The remnants of the fragmented mind of the elf who had died giving it life? Something else? Priam mainly hoped his add-on would find the answer.

[... Failure.

New attempt... Memory backup of Log-a-rhythm successful.]

Better than nothing.

Withdrawing his hand, Priam turned to Dishnu.

"It's done," he indicated, observing the result of the enhancement. Land Owner II had more than doubled the tree's sphere of influence. It now encompassed the first trees at the edge of the clearing.

The drya turned towards him, radiating joy.

"Log-a-rhythm is happy," declared Dishnu, pushing back the vines that served as his hair.

The drya was clearly a dendrophile, but for once, Priam agreed with him. Through the unique bond he shared with Log-a-rhythm, he felt his tree was content, even eager. It seemed to anticipate the upcoming ritual. We'll make you the most powerful tree across all worlds.

The thought of speaking to a tree didn’t seem weird to him.

"He's content," confirmed Priam. "What do I need to do?"

"We'll start the ritual. Watch me weave the aether, then it'll be your turn."

Priam winced as he remembered [Aether Manipulation]'s level.

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

PHYSICAL:Strength 357Constitution 604 Agility 383 Vitality 508 Perception 566

MENTAL:Vivacity 313Dexterity 384Memory 120 Willpower 599 Charisma 418 META:Meta-affinity 295 Meta-focus 225 Meta-endurance 173 Meta-perception 84 Meta-chance 216 Meta-authority 12 Potential: 683Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.

[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.

Future Tribulations delayed until:

Time: 177 days 2 hours 26 minutes 57 seconds.