The wings of the Phoenix subtly covered its beak; an avian equivalent of a grimace.

"I'm an AI based on the echo of a Phoenix Prince created from a diluted tear. As such, I have a limited ego and an impossible goal: to keep you alive until you kill my original. I'm as much on your side as one can be."

Priam relaxed his clenched fist before nodding stiffly. His draconic instinct whispered that the Phoenix was sincere, and this conversation held significance.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because what I'm about to tell you might not make you happy. You've lost someone, and that's tragic, but don't react like a child."

Priam couldn't believe his ears.

"I react like a child?" he repeated, bursting into a joyless laugh. "Sphinx trusted me so much that she followed me into another world. Since then, all I've done is disappoint her. She loved me, and I made her unhappy. To save me, she threw herself into the clutches of a psychopath. She could be tortured as we speak! Am I childish because I want to rescue her? What's the point of this damn System if I can't even save the ones I love?!"

As Priam finished his tirade, a terrifying flame burned in his eyes. The fiery reflections in his hair revealed the draconic anger simmering within him.

Seeing the compassion in the Phoenix's eyes, Priam calmed down.

"You're not angry at the System, but at yourself. You're rational enough not to rush into a hopeless rescue but feel like you're betraying her by refusing to sacrifice yourself needlessly."

Priam clenched his fists in silence. When his feelings were summarized like this, they seemed pathetic. Sphinx's life was invaluable, and he felt dirty for pondering, for refusing to throw himself into an impossible battle.

Yet, the Phoenix was right. Despite all his love for Sphinx, he was rational by nature.

"If you continue to progress, you will lose people," the Phoenix murmured. "You'll never get used to it, and it will hurt every time. Some steel themselves and silence their emotions. They never go far. The quest for the Zenith requires a rage and a will capable of conquering fate."

"... I will save Sphinx. At least, I'll try," Priam promised.

"Of course, but first, you need to create a plan that gives you a chance, no matter how tiny. Better a pragmatist who saves his friends than a passionate one who commits suicide with them."

"When you say pragmatist, I hear selfish," Priam murmured.

"A selfish person ready to face a Tier 4 to save his friend," the Phoenix pointed out. "Sphinx's trust in you is well-placed. The only selfishness you exhibit is thinking that everything depends on you. Let me be clear: you are weak. So weak that a Fallen didn't bother checking under his shoe after crushing you. That's why you're here."

Priam shivered, recalling Sumstreh's divine consciousness that had eclipsed his own. Thanks to exceptional rewards and a bit of luck, he had survived. Yet, he was nothing against a Tier 4.

"There must be a way to save her without necessarily facing Sums—"

"Stop!" the Phoenix interrupted. "Your soul is marked; do not speak their name, it would attract their attention."

Priam nodded. Eve had said they should avoid mentioning that name as well.

"There must be a way to save Sphinx without confronting that monster," Priam continued.

The Phoenix nodded.

"Certainly, but let me give you some perspective."

Levitating with the help of his kinetic control and wings, Priam listened attentively.

"Sphinx is trapped in their Divine Kingdom. Upon reaching Tier 5, the soul can create a kind of mini-world; like Concepts Archipelago but larger and saturated with Tier 5 Concepts. For those who choose to become gods, it's called a Divine Kingdom because it can accommodate the souls of their followers. Normally, these worlds have a minimum radius of several kilometers. You tell me theirs is about two hundred meters in radius?"

Priam nodded.

"That's the impression I got. Maybe some part was hidden, but—"

"No," the Phoenix cut in. "Two hundred meters in radius is certainly the size of their Domain. They must have synchronized their Supremacy and Divine Kingdom to stabilize the latter. That's the only reason they can retain it after losing their Tier. It's great news."

"How so?"

"If they can barely maintain their Divine Kingdom, there's little chance they'll kill your friend," the Phoenix said. "Sphinxes are masters of karma and enjoy certain powerful racial Talents. If they kill her, the backlash will resonate with their negative karma. They won't take that risk when they're in a position of weakness."

Priam's hearts palpitated with relief before a thought worried him.

"So, they'll forcibly convert her?"

"Depending on the purity of Sphinx's bloodline, that could be seen as an insult by her clan. They'd be signing his death warrant. No, I think they'll want to sell her."

The news hit Priam like a bomb.

"Sell her?!"

"Why not? If they can't use or kill her, it seems like the most logical solution."

"... Maybe I can buy her? With the help of a proxy, of course!"

The Phoenix burst into laughter. "Do you have money? Even if you could buy Sphinx back, this Fallen would still be a threat to you because of the soul mark he implanted."

"With time to analyze it, I'm almost sure I can destroy it," assured Priam.

"It will take them a fraction of a second to dominate your soul. If you succeed, they'll take Sphinx hostage. If you manage to free Sphinx, they'll understand the ruse and kill you."

"... Then they must die," Priam said. Of course, he had always intended to seek revenge, but he didn't think that moment would come so soon. "You say they're weak for a Tier 4?"

The Phoenix shook its head. "No, I said they're in a position of weakness. They can't leave their Divine Kingdom fragment without destabilizing it. In a few hours, it would be destroyed, and they would lose their divine advantages. Currently, all they need to do is restore their Divine Kingdom to become a Tier 5 again."

Priam took a few seconds to think. "If I know their objective, I can more easily create a plan to defeat them... How can they restore their Divine Kingdom?"

"Without followers or suitable fragments of concepts, they will have to rely on rare resources."

"Resources that could be rewards in the upcoming event?"

The Phoenix cackled. "Possible. They will probably contact you at the beginning of the event to give you instructions; we can discuss it then. Meanwhile, you have a more urgent problem. A sextuple Tribulation, really?"

Priam looked embarrassed. "Do you have any advice for me?"

"I have a warning: a fighter cannot stack more than seven Tribulations. If you try, they will trigger instantly. No one has ever survived it - or at least, no one has boasted about it."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Damn..." Priam didn't think he was so close to death. Suddenly, his Tribulations became a priority. My Tribulations, Sphinx, the Necromoon event... I feel like the next few weeks are going to be complicated.

"No one forced you to accumulate so many Tribulations. Most people quickly move on to Tier 1," the Phoenix remarked.

Priam snorted.

"Would I have earned my title of Fire Sage if I had been Tier 1?"

"Not for a Tier 0 Concept. Solidifying your foundations is good, but only if you're sure you can survive it. Do you have a plan to survive?"

"Well, I thought of reducing the number of Tribulations by increasing the Tier of my race. It would change my Tribulation thresholds and cancel some of them," Priam explained.

"Excellent idea. It's a big project, but at Tier 0, it's your only hope. Have you started looking into it?"

"I found two samples that should help me." Myuri and Jasmine each had a race close to high humans. By combining their three races, he hoped to produce something exceptional.

"Then you have everything you need. Don't waste any more time, and be careful not to trigger a seventh Tribulation," the Phoenix warned.

The conversation had done wonders for Priam. He was still stressed about his life, Sphinx, and everyone else, but he now had an objective: survive his Tribulations.

As he exited his world, he thought there was something terrible about having no room for error. Paradoxically, he welcomed this pressure with calmness. Either he would succeed in improving his race, or he would die. This simple equation allowed Priam to push aside his doubts and focus on what mattered.

With a clear mind, Priam asked Log-a-rhythm to open a portal to his highest branch and summoned Jasmine.

While waiting for his subordinate, Priam sat cross-legged, observing the crimson leaves swaying in the wind. By a strange coincidence, Log-a-rhythm shared this color with the Necromoon. The only difference was that the satellite was terrifying, while his tree was majestic.

Between the branches, the vast forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Terrifying monsters mingled with rare resources and mysterious rivals. Priam smiled, realizing that he was now a full-fledged rival too. The weak human who had crossed the portal three weeks ago was gone. A formidable and competent warrior had taken his place.

A man who now had dreams.

A shadow blurred as Jasmine emerged from it. The assassin wore a black outfit that clung to her skin, accentuating her feminine curves.

"It's a hoplite suit," she smiled, catching Priam's gaze. "Hyshana gave it to me after our first spar. It blocks infrared and vibrations caused by my blood circulation. It can also change color to enhance my camouflage. The only problem is that it's tight around the chest," winked Jasmine.

Priam glanced at the mentioned area before turning his head, slightly embarrassed. The tight-fitting suit was clearly too small in certain places.

"It suits you well. Maybe it will distract Eve."

"My dagger between her ribs, that's what's gonna distract this bitch," cursed Jasmine as she sat down. "She has a Concept as powerful as mine, maybe two, and she masters them even better. However, she makes mistakes sometimes."

"Meaning?"

"She constantly uses an illusion and hides nearby. Occasionally, she lacks attention, and her true shadow reveals itself. I have a Talent for sensing if my prey feels observed, so I know she hasn't spotted me. If you ask me, I'm almost sure I could assassinate her in less than half an hour. A bit more if she's on her guard."

Priam took a few seconds to think before shaking his head. "Too dangerous for now. But keep watching her; I want to understand her goals."

"Very well."

Jasmine's earnest response surprised Priam, who locked eyes with her.

"Far be it from me to complain, but I would have thought you'd make my life complicated. I more or less forced you to work for me, and you should hate me for it. That's what Ève's boss tried, and I hate them with all my soul."

Jasmine smiled mysteriously. "Maybe I should hate you, but I don't. I've spent my life obeying, and you're the kindest boss I've had. Besides, you say you forced me to accept your deal, but aren't we always forced? Working to eat, sleep, and thus survive is what all the poor on my planet do. Do you see a difference between that and slavery? I don't."

"You can leave a job whenever you want, not my service," Priam pointed out.

"I was an assassin, do you really think I could leave my organization?" Jasmine laughed miserably. "In my opinion, I'm better off here than on Arkana. At least I don't have to get fat pigs hard to get information."

Priam grimaced. "I'm not going to ask you to do that."

"I know. I'm just lucid enough to understand my situation and pragmatic enough to accept it. I tried to murder you, I failed, and I'm paying the price. I have fifty years to figure out what to do next. Unless I die before then."

According to his system, she meant what she said. Priam shook his head. This new world allowed limitless freedom, and Jasmine didn't seem to realize it. But who am I to tell her to change? I don't agree with her, but it's her choice.

"Okay. Besides that, did you manage to reassure Myuri?"

Jasmine shrugged. "She's afraid of men, and I'm not really a psychologist. I told her that you were a fairly honest person and never tried to take advantage of my body, but a life of terror creates survival instincts."

"It's troublesome..."

"Why?"

Priam hesitated for a moment before revealing his condition. "I triggered too many Tribulations, and I plan to upgrade my race to change my thresholds. I thought of merging our three genetic codes to create something superior."

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "I know how you and I could mix our two genetic codes to create something new, but I'm not sure it works with three people."

"I don't mind flirting, Jasmine, but with my attributes, I only have a few resistances to level-ups left before dying permanently—which would result in your death as well."

"Fuck."

"As you say."

Jasmine cleared her throat. "Maybe you should get to work then? I'm not really in the mood to die."

Priam nodded. "I'll do that until the beginning of the event. I should need a bit of your blood and Myuri's."

"I'll find that for you. Anything else?"

"Go ask Kazuki for another suit like yours but adapted for Myuri. I want to give her a gift to ease our relations."

"Better to ask for one of Hyshana's kimonos then; Myuri isn't really a fan of close combat."

"I'll let you handle it," Priam replied, standing up. Jasmine vanished into a shadow, and Priam looked up at the sky. A crimson sphere engulfed the firmament.

Two days before the start of the event, the Necromoon was gigantic.Status: (Average value for a Homo sapiens male before integration: PHY 10 / MEN 10 / META 0)

PHYSICAL:Strength 420 Constitution 794 Agility 446 Vitality 680 Perception 654

MENTAL:Vivacity 383Dexterity 475 Memory 218Willpower 832Charisma 499

META:Meta-affinity 408 Meta-focus 326Meta-endurance 256 Meta-perception 201 Meta-chance 230Meta-authority 15Potential: 3427Tier 0

[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.Necromoon Event : 2 days 16 hours 43 minutes.

[Tribulation]: Six Tribulations pending.Future Tribulations delayed until:Time: 172 days 18 hours 26 minutes 16 seconds.Next thresholds: 12 attributes > 400 / 6 attribute > 600 / 3 attributes > 800