Trees of Merit:

[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System.

Unused Merit Points.

"I've struck a deal with the Guardian; I must create a Forum," Priam declared.

Alain nodded. "Then let's start there. We'll figure things out as we learn more about this Forum."

Refusing to dwell on what he could have purchased with that Merit point, Priam confirmed the Land Owner selection.

[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 0: You can instantly create a building (Tier 1) on your Land - from a list provided by the System. ACQUIRED

[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System's Local Network.

Unused Merit Points.

Frowning at the second Merit, Priam realized that the Local Network was likely a form of internet. If so, he'd have to invest in it later. History had proven that it was impossible to thrive without this revolution.

But there was something more intriguing. In the recesses of his mind, Priam sensed a new option. He clicked on it.

Land Owner:

Buildings:

Log-a-rhythm (Tier 0)

Menhir of Secrets (No. 37,458 - Tier 6)

One Free building (Tier 1):

Donjon (Silver)

Portals (set of two, 30 km)

Baron Manor (200 m² - Comfort)

Underground Base (100 m² - Fortified)

Tower (30 m - Gold - Self-defense)

Protective Enclosure (2000m - Reinforced)

Training Room (200m² - Reinforced)

Temple (200 m² - Priest presence required)

Ziggurat (200 m² - Decay)

Tribulations Chamber (Reinforced)

Aether Pillar (Silver - Abundance)

Aether Well (Silver - Conduction)

Power Station (choose one energy form)

Forum (600m² - Attraction)

Fountain (50 m² - Attraction)

Inventory (100 m³ - Time Freeze)

Marketplace (200 m² - Merchant Presence Required)

Workshop (200 m² - Choose Profession)

Guild Hall (200 m² - Representative Required)

Library (400m² - Material/Digital/Mental Interface)

Theater (400m² - Comfort)

Bathhouse (200m² - Relaxation)

Sewer (3 000m² - Purification)

Laundry (60 m² - Purification)

Road (10 000m - Reinforced)

School (400 m² - Silver)

Hospital (200 m² - Abundance of Life)

Stable (200 m² - Abundance of Life)

Fields (400 m² - Abundance of Life)

…

Sphinx Throne (5m - Shiny)

…

The list extended, but Priam couldn't identify the other words. In a universe with an infinite array of races, many buildings likely served purposes unknown to him.

Priam read the list to his father before sharing his conclusions. "Aside from the Forum, I'm interested in the Donjon, the Aether Pillar, and the Aether Well. I don't know what they do, but they seem cool."

Alain chuckled. "We could ask the Guardian, but it would cost us. Personally, I find it intriguing that the System offers a Tribulation Chamber. We'll need to build one ourselves. The other buildings are only useful in a town of at least a thousand people, and I could build most of them myself."

Priam wasn't sure their camp would exceed twenty people. Elysium was too perilous to accommodate a large group. "Yeah, summoning sewers might not be useful."

"Easy to say when you're not the one digging dry toilets," commented Alain.

Without hesitation, Priam confirmed the Forum. He had no desire to be involved in constructing facilities that would be useless to him. Thanks to [He Who Eludes Death], he no longer had this kind of problem.

The System asked where he wanted to place the building, and Priam turned to his father. Alain had selected a location on the forest edge, about twenty meters from Log-a-rhythm.

Without fanfare, as if not to alert nearby monsters, the Forum materialized. The grass was replaced by a rectangular space, thirty by twenty meters, just big enough for a small market. On the ground, the forum consisted of a mosaic of ochre and white stones. Sweeping his eyes over the place, Priam instantly grasped that the pavement formed a giant rune.

"Attraction," revealed the Guardian of Secrets, approaching. "It's a potent rune that draws people and wandering merchants."

"Is that why you wanted it?" Priam asked.

"Of course. I have quotas to meet, you know? Spending millennia answering to stupid animals, bloodthirsty beasts, and Skulc tribes is bad for my career."

"I can imagine. Do you want to attract my rivals here?"

The Guardian hesitated for a moment. "Not just them."

Priam narrowed his eyes at the evasive response. "If this thing is going to attract people here, I'd prefer to know. Otherwise, I might have to destroy this rune. My family's safety comes first."

An attack from rivals could be devastating, but Priam was confident he could repel most of them. However, if a local or monster became aggressive, it would undoubtedly lead to a massacre.

"You promised to build me a forum," the Guardian pointed out.

"That's what I did. Now I can destroy it."

"... I love clever people as much as I hate them," sighed the Guardian. "Fine, just this once, free information. This rune only attracts neutral or friendly people here. Merchants, adventurers, pilgrims,... I'll leave the rest to your imagination."

"So, if a rival comes here, they won't be hostile?"

"Not if the rune drew them here."

Priam nodded, reassured. He had more questions, but decided to keep quiet. The Guardian would demand payment for the rest, and Priam didn't want to waste his Coins. One thing was certain, though. If the dwarf is expecting visitors, then visitors would come. During the Necromoon event?

"One last thing: can you move my Menhir to the center of the forum?" the Guardian asked.

Priam turned to the dwarf. "A Tier 6 like you making a poor Tier 0 like me work?"

"I can't move on my own. Or rather, it would break the protection the System grants me. So, if you don't want an Immortal showing up to collect your poor Guardian, be kind and move me."

"It's—"This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Later," the Guardian interrupted.

Without further discussion, Priam got to work. After several seconds of effort, the ground trembled when he released the heavy stone into the center of the forum. Fortunately, it had no consequences for the mosaic.

"Done! You mentioned Immortals?" Priam asked. The question had been burning on his lips since he heard the name.

"The soul becomes immortal upon reaching Tier 7. It's still destructible but impervious to time. In theory."

"In theory?"

The Guardian shrugged. "It's my personal opinion, but half of the Immortals aren't made for immortality. They go completely insane after a few million or billion years."

Priam remained silent. Living for so long that you saw everyone you loved die wasn't for everyone. I wonder if the Guardian...

Lifting his eyes, he found the dwarf had disappeared.

"I can understand them."

Priam turned to his father. "What?"

"The Immortals. Before the Tutorial, I was tired, sick, and you and your sister were the only reasons I dragged myself out of bed. I was eighty years old and had no plans to become a centenarian."

"... And now?"

Alain smiled. "Now I feel fit, young, and I have goals. Don't worry about me."

Priam felt lighter hearing his father so upbeat.

"Speaking of goals," Alain continued. "Except for Blueberry, everyone has come to see me at least once to discuss the direction to take."

"Oh? Is there a problem?" Priam had secured a safe base with Log-a-rhythm and hadn't really worried about the rest.

"None," Alain smiled. "We've been here for five days, and we're all starting to get used to life here. Everyone is working hard; we eat a bit of fish and some berries, and so far, aside from the Necromoon giving me nightmares, everything is fine."

Priam grimaced. His father looked tired, and with his vitality, that meant he was really sleeping poorly. The old man continued.

"But we're going to be here for another six months. It's time to organize ourselves."

"Meaning?"

"Improve our living conditions, defend our base, optimize our training," summarized Alain.

"Well, I don’t know about you, but I'm training hard. Really hard."

"I never said otherwise, and I'm proud of you, son. But currently, you're like Rocky Balboa training with tires and makeshift equipment. It works because we're in Elysium, but it's far from perfect."

"Do you want to build a training room?" Priam joked.

"Yes." Seeing his son's surprised look, Alain continued. "I'm serious. You have [Gymnastics] and [Fitness], right? I don't think doing push-ups will help you upgrade them to rare or epic levels."

"I'm not lacking in attributes, Dad," Priam grimaced. "I have enough Tribulations on my plate as it is."

"You must be the only one with this problem… Okay, let's take another example. Do you have any skills you want to level up right now that are causing you trouble?"

"Yeah, [Star Iron Body]. It's maxed out, but I need a feat to get a truly exceptional epic skill. My two current proposals are... disappointing."

"Is it your resistance to crushing?" Alain asked.

"And contusions. It's the evolution of [Blunt Resistance]."

Alain took a few seconds to think before smiling. "We could build a sort of hydraulic press! Rose would engrave resistance runes on the plates, and Sphinx would increase gravity locally. Now, should I go with oil or water? I suppose that..."

Priam smiled, watching his father speak faster and faster. The artisan was excited about his ideas and wanted to implement them.

"Dad?" Priam interrupted.

The question woke Alain up. "Yes, son?"

"Do you want to crush me with a hydraulic press? Am I such a bad son?" he laughed.

Alain locked his green gaze onto his son's misty eyes. "As a little boy, you were always crawling toward the waves on the beach. Each one had the power to kill you, but you didn't care. You haven't changed a bit."

Priam remained silent as his father found his words. "I can't stop you from jumping into the waves, but I can help you become stronger than them. All I want is for you to survive in the end. If I have to build you a hydraulic press for that, I'll do it."

Alain's voice had lowered, and Priam felt his stomach knot.

"... Sorry for worrying you, Dad."

Alain forced a smile before placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don’t be, I'm proud of you."

The two men stood like that for a few moments before Priam cleared his throat, feeling awkward.

"Where was I?" asked Alain.

"You were trying to tell me it would be interesting to stop living like savages and build a permanent camp with facilities to optimize our training."

"Yeah, right. Moreover, building is also training; you'll discover other facets of your powers."

Priam immediately thought of the Phoenix's flames. The bird was a symbol of resurrection and abundance. Maybe the best way to tame his flames wasn't to force himself but to use them differently?

"Where do we start?" Priam smiled.

"By building two tree houses for your friends."

Neither Jasmine nor Myuri were really his friends, but Priam didn't correct his father. The two young women didn't need to be ostracized.

"I'm going to fetch some wood."

Promesse's blade cut through the tough oak with difficulty, sending large splinters flying. Louis burst into laughter as the trunk crashed to the ground, behind the Forum.

"Alain is going to scold us if we bring back wood with such destroyed fibers," the old man chuckled.

He was right, and Priam grimaced as he saw the shattered base of the tree. Promesse was razor-sharp, but the wood proved resilient. Not enough to resist [Spear Slash], but enough to make the cut look uneven.

"It'll still be good for the fire," Priam replied, hoisting the heavy trunk onto his shoulder. He laboriously reached the forum a few meters away and tossed the wood onto it. Turning around, he found Louis watching him with an arrogant smile. Thanks to his Mastery, the old man's tree had been perfectly cut.

"Need a hand, boy?"

"I don't want you to break an arm, old chap. I have an idea," Priam said.

In his last battle, he had defeated Skull with his Conquest Aura. A technique capable of slicing through Tier 1 bones should be able to deal with a tree. The only problem was that he hadn't charged Conquest. Was it a prerequisite?

Mobilizing his charisma, the attribute governing his aura, Priam summoned it and wrapped it around the tip of his spear. The golden mist that appeared showed no trace of Conquest.

I want to retrieve the conquering aura that sliced through everything in its path.

The mist lazily stretched, indifferent to his desire. Using his will, Priam amplified his aura. Louis cautiously stepped back as he saw the misty halo condense. The tree branches froze, and the wind fell silent. Priam, focused, barely noticed these changes. Damn. His aura increased, but not its sharpness. Promesse was more imposing but not sharper.

Drawing on his memories, Priam recalled the last exchanges of the battle. The formidable power that had allowed a Tier 0 to defeat a Tier 1. Nothing changed.

Without losing heart, he then remembered his desire to win, his rage to conquer. Like a force of nature, he had crushed his opponent. [Eidetic Memory] made him travel through time, and Priam's mind synchronized with his past fury. A boiling anger engulfed him.

A click happened.

The golden hue of his aura disappeared, replaced by a bone-white color. A moment later, the halo merged with the blade of his spear. Priam, a murderous expression on his face, advanced and struck. His weapon effortlessly sank into an oak that would have stopped a shell. In a world-ending crash, the tree collapsed. The enemy was dead.

The sound of a twig snapping echoed behind him, and Promesse arced. Its tip stopped an inch from Louis's face.

"There's no enemy, boy, just me," the old man said with a gentle voice.

Short of breath, Priam lowered his spear, dispersing his aura. His rage receded, and his heart rate stabilized.

"Sorry," he murmured after several seconds.

"No problem. Your technique is interesting, but you have to control it, not the other way around."

"I... You're right. Sorry again." Priam had nearly killed his father's friend and had no excuse.

Louis shrugged, smiling. "It's nothing, I told you. You attacked so fast I didn't even have time to wet myself."

Priam blinked before bursting into laughter.

"What was that, by the way?" Louis asked, heading toward the trunk. "It looks like my Mastery, but..."

"An aura that uses my charisma," Priam explained. "Your Mastery uses your will. There's probably a connection between the two, but I don't know more. I still need to train."

"Mmm." The old man seemed lost in thought, crouched next to the stump. "Well, the cut is pretty clean. Your arm trembled a bit at the end, and your aura wasn't uniform."

Priam leaned over the stump, and his Domain confirmed Louis's words.

"I'll take care of wood cutting from now on," Priam decided. The marks would allow him to measure his progress.

"After all this, we could compare your aura and my Mastery if you want," Louis suggested.

"With pleasure. But first, the wood."

They had enough resources to build the cabins. Priam loaded a trunk onto his shoulder and levitated the other two with his Domain. Slowly, he headed toward Log-a-rhythm.

Louis rode one of the trunks.

Hyshana swore upon receiving a priority notification. The Hoplite Champion was enjoying a warm bath for the first time since the Tutorial.

Annoyed, she validated the communication using her ocular implant. Sound only.

Ishaka's image appeared in front of her. Only the head of the Supreme Hoplite General emerged from his mech. A new armor, Hyshana noted.

"What brings me this displeasure?"

Ishaka rolled his eyes. "We're allies for now, Hyshana, so let's at least be polite."

Before Hyshana could tell him to go milk pigjahbs, the general continued. "Our scientists have just finalized the bomb. The mechs will be ready the day after tomorrow. Your soldiers?"

"Ready as well," Hyshana replied, clenching her fists. They were nearing the goal. "The day after tomorrow, are you sure?"

"Sure. The mechs are almost good, we are just reinforcing electromagnetic protections. Kazuki mentioned three suns, and that increases the risk of EMP. In thirty hours, you'll have the green light."

"Perfect."

"When do you plan to leave?"

"In thirty hours."

With those words, Hyshana cut the signal and stepped out of her bath. She still had a few hours to train.

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

PHYSICAL:Strength 419Constitution 724Agility 432 Vitality 547Perception 642

MENTAL:Vivacity 352Dexterity 444 Memory 182Willpower 706Charisma 450 META:Meta-affinity 374 Meta-focus 264Meta-endurance 208 Meta-perception 147 Meta-chance 219Meta-authority 15Potential: 1062Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 3 hours 8 minutes 9 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.Future Tribulations delayed until:Time: 175 days 3 hours 41 minutes 22 seconds.Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800