"Attacking a tank as an assassin is rarely a good idea," Priam commented. As he spoke, he began conjuring his new invisible mist toward the assassin.

"If I hadn't been warned, I would probably be dead," Kazuki replied in a neutral tone.

While keeping an eye on his target, Priam frowned. "Warned? By whom?" He hadn't detected anyone else.

Kazuki nodded toward the menhir. "The menhir holds... a strange intelligence that sells information. He can hear us."

"Oh." That changed things. "And the assassin? She failed to assassinate you once, and now I'm here. Why isn't she running away?"

"No idea, but it works for me. She's the one with the Skull Key, right?"

"...Yes," Priam admitted, a bit embarrassed. Kazuki met his gaze.

"I need it," he said with rare intensity.

"We'll find her, my friend," Priam promised. Kazuki had helped him enough to deserve assistance. It was the second time the hoplite had asked for something, and Priam suspected it was important.

As long as the assassin stays put, there's hope. But why isn't she fleeing?!

Priam began to think while monitoring his mist. An assassin was most dangerous when their presence was unknown, and clearly, her ambush had failed. With no left arm, the unknown assailant must know her chances of defeating them were slim. Even if she was waiting for reinforcements, she should have hidden. Unless it's a decoy and she’s trying to draw our attention to a shadow.

The only valuable thing here was the menhir, and Priam approached it.

"How do we activate it?" he asked Kazuki.

"Just touch it with your hand."

It required physical contact. Would a shadow be sufficient? Priam started circling the construction, activating his Domain. The runic menhir was impervious to his sphere of authority, and the aether field it emitted cleared away any dust or debris. If the assassin tried to access the menhir using a shadow, Priam was confident he would detect it.

Meticulously, he began scanning the stone's surface. It took him no more than three seconds to spot an anomaly. About ten centimeters above the ground, hidden under debris, was a foreign object stuck to the stone. It was less than a micrometer in size, but it stood out clearly against the pristine surface of the menhir.

It could be nothing, or it could be a probe from the assassin. Unsure, Priam decided to destroy it. He hesitated about using Promesse, but the target's size made him reconsider. The tip of his spear was only a few microns itself, but he had to aim precisely. Might as well use the big guns.

With the speed of a striking serpent, Priam placed his hand on the part of the menhir where the target was located. Connecting to [Concepts Archipelago], he opened a tiny portal under his hand leading outside the sun shining in his world. A fraction of a second later, he closed the portal.

Lifting his hand from the menhir, he grimaced. Despite his resistances and constitution, his palm was charred. The skin resembled overcooked meat. The enticing scent of grilled food tickled Priam's nostrils before he shook his head. He summoned Micro to focus his vitality on his hand. Such a wound should heal before his next resurrection. Time to make use of this attribute...

…Hello Priam, Spear of Humanity and Chosen of ???.Do you accept communication with the Guardian of Secrets (No. 37 458)?

The notification blinked in a corner of his vision, and Priam finished scanning the rest of the menhir before accepting.

"My race is peaceful, but you should avoid summoning a sun so close to my phylactery. If your intentions had been hostile, I would have had to take regrettable measures."

Priam turned around before opening his mouth in surprise. The glittering statue of a dwarf was talking to him.

"I apologize," Priam said. "I was getting rid of a nuisance."

"A nuisance for you, but a client for me. Even if Var Elegis's film collection is simply disastrous."

Priam nodded while quickly thinking. Var Elegis? This thing belonged to Arnold and not the assassin. Priam had to use all his composure to prevent his hearts from accelerating. Arnold was close, and Kazuki was injured. Could it be that our rivals are in cahoots?

The thought that the assassin herself could be a Var Elegis didn't even cross Priam's mind. He instinctively felt he was dealing with one of his rivals. The System wouldn't have chosen two people from the same civilization.

Priam smiled at the Guardian. If he wanted to talk about movies, humanity could speak.

"It doesn't surprise me. I'm almost certain Arnold has the emotional capacity of a toaster. He'd be better suited to play a killer cyborg from the future than to be a director."

The Guardian burst into laughter. "That's very specific, but I like it! I sense you know a bit about movies, am I wrong?"

"Oh, I've seen a few hundred masterpieces, but I don't consider myself a cinephile," Priam smiled.

"A few hundred? How many films has your civilization created?"

The Guardian's enthusiasm surprised Priam. Looks like I'm dealing with a film enthusiast.

"Quite a few. Maybe a few hundred thousand."

The dwarf gave Priam a bright smile. "I am the Guardian of Secrets. I can exchange your films... um, I mean some of your memories for iron Coins. Coins you can then exchange for answers to your questions!"

Priam squinted before smiling. "It sounds interesting, but I'll look into it later. Someone just stole my Skull Key, and that's my current priority."

"In exchange for a few films, I could reveal the location of that object," the Guardian proposed, rubbing his hands together.

"It's in the hands of an assassin who is currently watching us. I don't see the point of paying for something I already know," Priam smiled.

"Well, you still need to find her. It seems your friend's time is running out," the Guardian pointed out. Priam turned to Kazuki, who was monitoring the assassin's shadow with his back turned. His Tribulations were approaching, and despite his strong appearance, the hoplite must have had doubts. The Skull Key must help him with his Tribulation, I suppose...

"I'm sure Kazuki has enough Coins to buy the assassin's position," Priam retorted. At that moment, his mist reached the suspicious shadow and found nothing. Damn. Where is she?

The dwarf narrowed his eyes. "I have other information that might interest you. If you buy them, I should be able to offer you a... bonus."

"A discount coupon?"

"I was thinking about her base."

Priam nodded. Each rival was exceptional in their category, and if he couldn't kill the assassin in one strike, he wasn't confident in preventing her from escaping.

"Deal."

"Perfect! May I scan your memories to retrieve the films you've seen?"

"I'd rather try something before if you don't mind."

"Oh?"

[Priam's System]. Invoking his add-on, Priam ordered it to access his eidetic memory and extract each film he had seen as a memory. A few minutes later, a mental list of the movie he had watched appeared. The goal was to challenge his skill while preventing the Guardian from accessing all his films at once. Now, how to transfer these memories to him?

Lvl Up: [Priam’s System] lvl 15MEM+2VIVA +1

Priam closed his eyes and visualized his mental space. The sphere of [Priam's System] orbited around his soul, all surrounded by the core of his Domain. Priam instructed his add-on to copy his Terminator memory and then reject the memory. A kind of bubble appeared on the surface of his mental system before detaching itself.

Using his Domain, Priam guided this bubble to the edge of his mental space. Taking a breath, he pushed, and the bubble pierced the membrane before bursting.

"Oh?"

Priam opened his eyes toward the surprised Guardian. "I tried to transfer a film to you. Did you feel it?"

The dwarf blinked before bursting into laughter. "I felt it infiltrate the ambient aether. Like all Tier 3s nearby, actually. I'll create a mental bridge before you attract something horrifying. Done."

By invoking his mental space again, Priam was surprised. A menhir as tall as a skyscraper had appeared not far from his soul. Immense runes, fiery and icy in color, were inscribed on it. Its terrifying presence weighed on Priam, making him tremble internally. The Guardian's aura, so imposing that it surpassed Viracocha's, prevented his mind from forming a coherent sentence. With paralyzed thoughts, Priam took several seconds to realize his terror.

He felt as if he were hanging onto the International Space Station, orbiting above the world. A thought from the Guardian, and he would detach, condemned to wander in the vacuum of space for the rest of his short life. A primal fear crushed Priam's guts.This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Darn, maybe I shouldn't have appeared in front of a Tier 0... Don't panic and adapt," a voice resonated.

Priam didn't reply, silently observing the menhir. After several seconds, his mind thawed. His fear began to recede as his pride compelled him to withstand the stone's aura. Viracocha first and now this… The next time he faced a god, Priam refused to bend the knee.

Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 11WILL +3

"Very well," the Guardian congratulated him. "This is my spiritual form. If you transfer memories, thoughts, or emotions in my direction, I should be able to pick them up."

"I... Okay." The sooner he finished, the sooner the titanic image would disappear. Priam got to work. He collected his films and sent them one by one to the Guardian. When his memories crossed the membrane of his spiritual domain, the Guardian instantly captured them. A kind of aether flow emanated from the stone and surrounded Priam's soul. Each bubble was secured by this flow and brought back to the immense black stone.

With an empty mind, Priam sent film after film to the Guardian. Gradually, the fear began to recede. He was not a man made to bow his head.

Lvl Up: [Spirit resistance] lvl 12WILL +3

The second System notification gave him courage. At the fiftieth transferred film, Priam stopped and returned to the real world. "How many iron Coins do I have?"

"Fourteen."

"I need a point of comparison. Let me ask you a question. What's the difference between a Tier 1 and a Tier 0?"

It was a question Priam was asking himself more and more, especially after confronting Skull.

"Twenty iron Coins," the Guardian smiled.

Is that expensive? It wasn't a huge amount, but Priam had more questions than films to trade.

He turned to Kazuki. "How many Coins have you gathered?"

"In total? Fifty-three bronze Coins."

"What?" Priam turned towards the embarrassed Guardian. "Hoplite films all look the same, how can he have amassed so many iron Coins, and I so few?"

Upon learning the hoplite language, Priam had watched a number of films. The action scenes were incredible, but he refused to believe that movies made by Tier 4s or 5s weren't more impressive. The true power of human culture lay in philosophy, love, and new ideas.

The Guardian shrugged. "It's not me setting the value on your films; it's other Guardians. It's not my fault if they don't have a taste for cinema. Your friend sold information about his life, his race, his history, and his culture. He's older than you, and his AI has vast resources. That's why he got more Coins."

Priam shook his head. "I disagree. You must have the power to increase the value of the films I sell."

"By dipping into my own savings. Why would I do that? If you don't sell them to me, another human will sell them to another Guardian. If I have to wait a few centuries to enjoy these films, what does it matter?"

Priam shook his head. "Most humans didn't go through the Tutorial with a Netflix server in their pocket. I'm certainly one of the few with [Eidetic Memory]. If you want these films, I want a preferential rate."

"I think you need answers more than films."

"There's only one way to find out. I refuse to be swindled," Priam said with a shaky voice. He hadn't forgotten that the Guardian could easily turn him into an idiot with a mere thought.

"So, you want to bargain?"

"Yes."

I won't let myself be intimidated just because he's more powerful than me.

Silence settled for a few seconds before the Guardian started to smile. "I almost felt bad for ripping you off. I can offer you a film for two iron Coins. I won't go any higher."

Priam sighed in relief before admonishing himself for getting scammed before. To his credit, the imposing spiritual presence of the Guardian had prevented him from thinking clearly.

"Deal."

Ten films later, Priam had thirty-four iron Coins.

"I hope you’ll enjoy the films."

"I love them," the Guardian replied. "Great variety, fascinating creativity and some special effects to avoid having only humans as actors. I'm starting to understand why the Concepts absorbed your civilization."

So, we've been chosen...

"I'd like the information I asked for earlier. And the location of the assassin's base."

"Cling!" The Guardian straightened up before continuing. "The difference between a Tier 0 and a Tier 1... It's the soul."

"The soul?"

"Exactly. The body, the mind, and the soul are the three facets of a being. As a High Human, you already know you can evolve your race and body. Your mind is connected to your meridians, and I know you obtained a temperance die."

Priam nodded. Analyzing Heavenly Dragon, his method of temperance, he had understood that his meridians were more spiritual than real. For now.

"However, all of this is secondary to your soul," the Guardian continued. "It's the true expression of your individuality. Your body can be destroyed, your mind can be dispersed, but if your soul survives, there is hope. Even mortals are entitled to the Wheels of Reincarnation."

Priam couldn't help but think of [He Who Eludes Death]. The skill targeted his soul and could restore his body and mind without any issues. The soul was the most important of the three facets; it was who he was.

"The real power comes from the soul," Priam theorized. "Concepts, Domain, and Mastery are linked to the soul."

This explained why the System had advised against harmonizing with the concept of Tribulation. His soul was too weak to bear it.

"All Supremacies are rooted in the soul, even Micro," the Guardian corrected. "Understanding them is one of the ways to elevate it. Of course, in our universe, most people focus on Concepts."

"So, a Tier 1 has understood certain Concepts or Supremacies. Why am I not Tier 1 then?"

"You're almost there."

"Really?!"

The Guardian shook his head. "I see that your language has words like academies, schools, and universities. During your education, you study, you work, you learn. At the end of it, you're tested. If you pass this test, you get a diploma. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Priam took a second to ponder.

"Having acquired Domain, Micro, and the mist concept, I'm already a Tier 1. But I won't be recognized until I undergo a Tribulation, right?"

"Almost. Tribulations are not just a test; they also modify your soul, making it more... complete."

"Like [Iconoclaste]?" The Title Priam obtained by urinating on the statue of Viracocha had crystallized his soul.

The Guardian grimaced. "That Title is one of the ways to strengthen your soul without going through Tribulations, Supremacies, and Concepts. It's a very rare Title, almost Legendary. Viracocha is a minor god, or else you would have obtained the Legendary version."

"Too bad he’s so weak then."

"You would already be dead if it were stronger."

"Why?"

"Ten bronze Coins," smiled the Guardian.

"Forget it. I'm not sure I understand the Tier 1's advantage over Tier 0."

"Ten iron Coins."

"... Deal."

"Cling!" The Guardian seemed pleased to answer his questions. Or maybe he’s tired of ignoring the skulcs' questions.

"High Tribulations bring to your soul a certain… Quality ? Your language doesn't have the right word. A certain authenticity that Aether recognizes. They make your soul more compatible with Concepts, facilitate the understanding of Supremacies, and increase your affinity with aether. At Tier 0, it's a nightmare to acquire a Tier 0 or 1 Concept. At Tier 1, it's natural."

A Tier 0 wasn't limited by its attributes, but by the quality of its soul.

"So, it's an elevation of the soul that allows a better understanding of the Universe’s laws and thus further progress. Without it, it becomes difficult to unlock Supremacies and Concepts," Priam summarized.

"Not difficult, impossible. A Tier 0 soul cannot develop a Tier 2 Concept or Supremacy. Unless you modify your soul by other means, but I don't recommend it."

Priam's instinct awakened. "What do you mean?"

"Tribulations are one of the few Laws common to all known Universes. They instill fear in the heart of every individual. Some have tried to circumvent this fate by elevating their soul by other means..." The Guardian stopped, hesitating to continue.

"I haven't paid enough for this information?" Priam guessed in a detached tone.

"It's one of the few free pieces of information we provide," the dwarf said, shaking his head. "Elevating your soul without Tribulation is complicated and painful. Often, it involves its destruction and then its reconstruction. A kind of artificial Tribulation."

"Like a resistance but for the soul?"

The Guardian grimaced. "Strengthening a body or mind costs nothing to the Concepts. Strengthening a soul does. Without the System's help, the individual becomes a terrifying monster with a deformed soul. Worse, their existence contradicts some fundamental Laws, causing errors. When they multiply, the aether threads supporting reality tear, causing the extinction of entire worlds."

"Oh…"

"As you say. That's why there's a ban on soul elevation outside of Tribulation. These individuals are pests that the Universe seeks to eliminate. The reward for their death is incredible: a Grace. In other words, a High Tribulation without danger with the best benefits. Of course, it depends on the Tier of the abomination."

"I hope I can get that kind of reward one day," Priam said in a tone he hoped was neutral.

The Guardian burst into laughter. "When these abominations are detected, gods come out of their heavens to kill Tier 0s or 1s with their own hands. Collateral damage is enormous. A piece of advice, don't get close to souls with a dubious Tier. The only fate of Apocryphal souls is death."

Fuck.

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

PHYSICAL:Strength 419Constitution 724Agility 432 Vitality 547Perception 637

MENTAL:Vivacity 342 (+1)Dexterity 444 Memory 142 (+2) Willpower 682 (+9) Charisma 450 META:Meta-affinity 371 Meta-focus 261Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 131 Meta-chance 219Meta-authority 15Potential: 1097 (+6) Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 19 hours 1 minute 2 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.Future Tribulations delayed until:Time: 175 days 19 hours 34 minutes 15 seconds.Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800