Surprise painted Priam's features upon hearing the question. How does this thing know I haven't spent my Merit Points?

Suspicion replaced surprise. "Are you spying on me?" he asked, his tone icy.

Like anyone, Priam valued his privacy.

The phoenix snorted. "Paranoia is a quality, but I assure you I'm just a simple hologram. I merely sense that you haven't unlocked the [Hatched Phoenix] Merit."

Priam nodded as if satisfied with the phoenix's response, but deep down, he remained cautious. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

"Well, since these points are scarce... The mere prospect of making a suboptimal decision paralyzes me."

Priam despised the idea of squandering such a precious resource. In video games, he was the kind of person who saved before every decision.

The Phoenix looked at him for a moment before sighing. "The System is still new to you; you have no education."

Although it was true, the phoenix's condescension irked Priam.

"My father is an architect, not a phoenix king."

"My father is a consort, not a king. I'll teach you what I know, but you'll have to deduce some information yourself," the phoenix continued. "To prevent our enemies from discovering our secrets or... our traitors from revealing them, we sign confidentiality contracts."

Judging by his tone, the phoenix included itself among those traitors.

"Even a prince?"

"Even a prince. Nevertheless, my knowledge is sufficient to help you immensely."

"I guess… But why do you want to help me? You made my sun, and now we’re even."

The ruby eyes of the phoenix sparkled, and for a moment, Priam saw the shadow of a Prince.

"I want you to kill the corrupted me. The more I help you, the stronger our karmic bonds become. Beyond a critical threshold, a confrontation will be inevitable. I need an immortal to fulfill this quest."

Priam hadn't heard the capitalized letter and assumed that the phoenix was talking about his resurrection Talent, not his Tier. Priam could fail many times, but each death would make him stronger. The time would come when the corrupted phoenix would perish.

"Let's say I believe you. What do I need to do to catch up to a corrupted Prince?"

"Start by buying the Trees of Merit for the dragon and phoenix. Some other Titles may disappoint at high Tiers, but not these two."

Priam had already acquired the Dragon's Tree but chose to remain silent rather than vex the hologram. He summoned the Merits tab.

Trees of Merit:

[Tribulation Wyvern Heart - Silver(Gold)] - Tier 4: Requires a Gold Title.

[Tenacious Spirit - Silver] - Tier 4: Locked. Requires a Gold Title.[Quester - Silver] - Tier 0: Your instincts are sharpening.[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flames increases.

[Three-headed Hydra - Silver] - Tier 2: When your body is in perfect health, your Vitality accumulates. The subsequent injury you receive will be healed all the faster because your Vitality has accumulated.[Hermes' Apprentice] - Tier 0: Future messenger, you are temporarily accepted when traveling to other worlds than Elysium.[Moon Earl - Gold] - Tier 5: Locked. Requires a Legendary Title.[Upgrader] - Tier 0: You begin to feel the aethereal workings of your skills[Forerunner - Silver] - Tier 0: Your META (chance) increases temporarily when you work on a project capable of improving humanity's standing.[To the Moon] - Tier 0: Time stops for one second within a ten-meter radius when you are in mortal danger.[Admirer of Atlas] - Tier 0: Your power works miracles. You can temporarily double your strength.[Weathered] - Tier 0: Your resistance is even more effective.[Threat Killer] - Tier 0: You feel people's hostile thoughts toward you.[Iconoclast - Gold] - Tier 0: You're beginning to feel your soul.[Fighter of the Depths] - Tier 0: You are more resistant to the corruption of the Depths.[Supersonic Boy - Silver] - Tier 0: Passively modifies your aethereal code to make you more aerodynamic.[Land Owner - Silver] - Tier 1: Link your Land to the System's Local Network.[Primogenitor - Gold] - Tier 0: You can tax one-thousandth of the Potential gain of your hundred most powerful descendants. Limited to 100 POT per decade.[Horseman of the Apocalypse - Legendary] - Tier 1: Eye of the Conqueror. It's hard to run away from a Conqueror.[Pseudo Immortal Slayer - Silver] - Tier 0: Double your life expectancy.[The Reaper - Bronze] - Tier 0: The Reaper is a Tracker. Place a mark on an afraid enemy and follow them to the ends of the earth.

[Champion - Humanity (Tier 0) - Bronze] - Tier 0: Share your burden - increases the power of your race's Tribulations by 5%. Decreases the power of your Tribulations by 20%.

[Doctor - Bronze] - Tier 0: Your skills and Supremacies don't need to overcome your patient's passive resistance if they consent to the operation.

[Spiritess - Bronze] - Tier 0: The regeneration of your spirit leaves no natural scars.

[Atlantis Citizen - Silver] - Tier 0: Allows your lungs to absorb oxygen present in water.

[Aetherist - Gold] - Tier 0: Allows you to simulate the effect of a rune or ritual in your mind - depends on Memory and Vivacity.

[Polyglot - Bronze] - Tier 0: Increases your affinity with foreign alphabets and characters.

Unused Merit Points.

So many Merits and so few choices... Priam would have wanted to buy everything. Unfortunately, Merit Points were among the few resources Potential couldn't buy. Non-refundable and non-exchangeable, these points were precious.

Despite everything, Priam knew he had to make the most of his resources. He bought the first Tier of the phoenix tree.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 0: Your affinity with flames increases. ACQUIRED.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Increases your resistance to flames.

Unused Merit Points.

The effect of the Merit was immediate. The flame orbiting Priam's soul woke up before intensifying. Bathed in its light and warmth, the mental space evolved. The nebulous sphere, the seat of Priam's identity, remained unchanged, but its environment transformed. The infinite black void surrounding his soul, his Assistant, his Domain, and his Concepts colored a deep orange.

Title won!

[Fire Sage - Bronze] - Your natural affinity for the Fire Concept (T0) has reached 100%. Your soul is now perfectly compatible with this Concept. Fire is your companion, your parent, and your child. Your soul accepts and nurtures it.

Affinity, Harmony, Symphony, and Unity; the Sage's path leads to the Zenith but must still be traversed.

Remember your burning love? Victory wasn't your perfect match, but she was hot!

META (END) +10%

Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 34,35,36,37,38

VIT +10

CONST +5

Priam's heart tightened reading the System's taunt. The Tutorial was still an open wound. He used his formidable will to focus on the changes happening within him.

Senses heightened, Priam watched the phoenix's flames dance vigorously. The sun changed color, and the air carried the delightful scent of ash. Priam raised his right hand and summoned fire. Spontaneously, a glove of white flame covered his hand. Clenching his fist, Priam marveled at the flame that enveloped and protected him.

He didn't even need to manipulate the fire. It responded to a simple thought, and each new action taught Priam something new. He was the maestro, and the fire was the orchestra.

The flaming glove transformed into a fireball, then split into three. Priam juggled with them for a moment before merging them into a floating cube. He modified its color, brightness, size, and temperature. The cube landed in his hand, creating a bead of fire. The flame nestled in his palm, seeking approval.

With each exercise, Priam's understanding increased. Being a Sage didn't mean mastering the concept perfectly. The Title was simply proof that he had the potential to master it. He still needed to train, but compared to his mist, his fire was almost playful. Where the mist was a capricious mistress, fire was a soulmate eager to reveal all its secrets.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

In about ten seconds, as a flame rolled between his fingers, the soul flame representing his concept grew again. It quickly reached the intensity delivered by the mist concept.

[Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept.

Destroyer, Creator, Liberator.

Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it.

Harmony - The only fuel your flames need is ambient aether.

"You've already unlocked Harmony?" the phoenix asked, surprised.

"With my new affinity, it's... like an obvious thing," Priam admitted. "I believe nothing has ever felt so familiar."

Priam was good at many things. He excelled in school and admirably slew monsters. Yet, manipulating fire seemed to be second nature to him. It was an incredible sensation.

"Good, that means you have a very high affinity with this concept," congratulated the phoenix. "The greater your affinity, the easier it is to advance your mastery and the less limited you are. It will also help you with a Tier up. What is your affinity level?"

"One hundred percent."

The phoenix blinked, looking at Priam. "You... You're a Sage?"

"Yep," Priam grinned.

The phoenix opened its mouth, not responding for a few seconds before exclaiming, "That's impossible!"

"So was succeeding in a quadruple Tribulation, and yet..." Priam boasted.

"Erase that idiotic smile," grumbled the phoenix. "I tested your affinities after you assimilated my bloodline, and you were only at sixty percent. The Merit you just acquired increases affinity by ten percent. When your fire resistance reached level twenty, you must have selected an affinity bonus. There's still twenty percent that I can't explain..."

"Is there a problem?" Priam asked, seeing the phoenix dumbfounded.

"None, it's just hard to conceive. Even phoenixes are rarely born as Fire Sages. For basic Concepts, only Tier 3 races or higher can have an affinity naturally higher than fifty percent. There are exceptions like elementals, but they're rare."

"You just said I had sixty percent affinity," Priam pointed out.

"After acquiring my bloodline. I don't understand how you gained the last twenty percent."

Priam thought for a few seconds.

"With my scientific knowledge, I know a lot about flames, combustion, heat, and light. Besides, I've always loved fire," Priam revealed. As a child, he had nearly started several fires by reigniting embers from the fireplace.

The phoenix shook its head. "It doesn't work like that. Knowledge, training, and epiphanies increase your mastery of the Concept. On the other hand, natural affinity is an attribute of the soul. Regardless of your mental state or knowledge, it's not something that varies. You loved fire because you had a great affinity with it, not the other way around."

Priam pondered an explanation before grimacing. He had several leads, but he needed evidence.

Assistant, monitor my natural affinities and their evolution.

[New routine created.]

Priam refocused on the bird. "Anyway, I'm a Sage. Should I buy the other merits?"

"No, change of plans," announced the phoenix.

Priam raised an eyebrow. "What plan?"

The phoenix pressed its beak, reluctant to answer. Generally, a Prince was blindly obeyed. Although it was now just a hologram, habits died hard. Nevertheless, if Priam respected his knowledge, he didn't intend to become a puppet of a dead bird. He held the volatile's gaze for several seconds.

"I'm not a weapon. If you want me to cooperate, trust you, and help you kill your original, you're going to have to treat me like an equal."

"Very well," responded the hologram. "Merits change according to certain prerequisites. You can spend your Potential to modify them manually, but you'll soon need this resource. Thanks to Fire Sage, you should be able to access interesting Merits. What is the Tier 1 Merit?"

"It increases my resistance to flames."

The phoenix nodded. "Take it. With this Merit, when your resistance reaches the epic tier, you'll receive a better evolution."

Priam had already noticed that some evolutions required specific prerequisites. Thanks to the phoenix's knowledge, he would avoid some pitfalls. Without further delay, he validated the merit.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 1: Boosts your flame resistance. ACQUIRED.

[Hatched Phoenix - Gold] - Tier 2: Contemplate Nirvana.

Unused Merit Points.

Lvl Up: [Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] lvl 39,40

VIT +4

CONST +2

[Infantile Phoenix Metabolism] has reached level 40, its maximum level as a rare skill. Depending on your background, three upgrades are available:

[Hatched Phoenix Metabolism - Epic] - General upgrade. No future upgrade possible. Potential Cost: 5[Hatched Phoenix Resilience - Epic] -You've braved the flames countless times; they've remade you. Future upgrades possible. Potential Cost: 80[Precocious Phoenix Organism - Epic] - You plunge your hand into the flames. Pain isn't enough to deter you; you know your path. Impressed by your will, the fire's bite turns into a caress. High upgrade potential. Potential Cost: 160“Nice!”

Ecstatic, Priam shared his advancements with the phoenix.

“Don’t take it. [Precocious Phoenix Organism] is an excellent skill, but you can do better. Your core skills should aim for an ideal upgrade.”

Priam frowned at this revelation. “I’ve never had that kind of option. Yet, I've pulled off some pretty impressive feats.”

“Impressive for a newcomer maybe, but if you want to reach the Zenith, it won’t cut it. This kind of upgrade is costly: four times the potential the skill earned you. I know it's a big sacrifice, but—”

“I'll do it.”

“Huh?”

“I'll do it,” Priam repeated. “I hate the idea of not doing my best, and I need extraordinary resistances for my temperance method. What do I need to do to unlock the ideal option?”

“... I don’t have access to that data,” admitted the phoenix. “All I know is that in my youth, my mother soaked me in a star before collecting my ashes so I could resurrect.”

Priam looked up at the sun. “Well, I know what to do, but it'll have to wait a few hours. The third Merit suggests contemplating Nirvana. Should I buy it?”

The phoenix shook its head. “It simply increases your chances of a successful Nirvana; it’s useless for you. Sooner or later, you'll succeed. The ideal skill should change that Merit. Focus on the draconic Tree.”

Slightly embarrassed, Priam revealed to the phoenix that he had already acquired the available Merits.

“It's not entirely optimized, but your second heart is special, so I guess it compensates,” analyzed the phoenix after Priam’s report. “But Soul Harmonization, a Talent capable of enhancing the natural affinity of the concept of your choice? It's not the ultimate race for nothing. Wait until your concept reaches Tier 1 before activating it.”

“Why?”

“You have a hundred percent affinity with the Fire Concept, but it's only at the Harmony stage. Next comes Symphony, Unity, then the Tier up. In most cases, the Concept specializes according to your preferences. For Fire, it could be Heat, Combustion, etc. However, as a Sage, you can refine your concept.” The phoenix's voice was excited, and Priam smiled. “That's when you'll start to snowball.”

“Refine my Fire Concept into what?”

“It's a hidden option. At Tier 1, Fire can evolve into... Damn, the information is also redacted! It shows how rare it is. Anyway, with this concept, you'll truly be part of the elite, equal to the emperor's sons and the gods’ daughters.”

“Equal to a dragon?” Priam joked.

The phoenix gave him an incredulous look. “You're mad.”

Priam shrugged. He had already decided that one day, he would eat a dragon.

“If we're done, I'm going to train,” he announced.

“One last thing,” the phoenix stopped him, perching on his hand. “This knowledge was a bonus. I have something more... concrete.”

At the zenith of Concepts Archipelago, a sun shone. In the last few hours, the fireball had found company. The black, empty sky that marked the world's boundary was now adorned with a multitude of stars. An attentive observer would have noticed that each star was, in fact, a fiery pearl.

Sitting cross-legged beside his pond, Priam focused on the astral ballet he orchestrated. The flames moved slowly, some accelerating, others slowing down. The exercise was challenging and aether-intensive, but fruitful. After only a few hours, Priam had unlocked Fire Symphony. His second concept had already surpassed his mist, showcasing the importance of natural affinity, even with a lower Tier.

[Fire - Concept] - You have touched on a Tier 0 Concept.

Destroyer, Creator, Liberator.

Affinity - Your connection now lets you grasp certain truths about Fire and manipulate it.

Harmony - The only fuel your flames need is ambient aether.

Symphony - You can store your flames within you.

Smiling, Priam called the thousands of pearls back to him. In a few seconds, each penetrated his body before disappearing into his blood, closest to his phoenix bloodline. The Symphony perk was almost necessary for what he was about to do.

The Necromoon was coming, and Priam needed the means to step up his game. Focusing on the fiery river coursing through his body, Priam invoked the skill offered by the phoenix.

“[Phoenix Wings].”

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

PHYSICAL:Strength 420 Constitution 773 (+9)Agility 432 Vitality 666 (+21)Perception 652

MENTAL:Vivacity 359Dexterity 453 Memory 185Willpower 706Charisma 456

META:Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 284Meta-endurance 231 (+21) Meta-perception 170 Meta-chance 219Meta-authority 15Potential: 1103 (+14)Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: OFF. Reloaded in 7 hours 2 minutes 29 seconds.

[Tribulation]: Five Tribulations pending.Future Tribulations delayed until:Time: 174 days 8 hours 5 minutes 42 seconds.Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 1 attribute > 800