A Novel Concept

Lvl Up : [Divination Resistance] lvl 4
META (AFFI) +3

Priam swallowed as he looked up at the imposing Colosseum. The building was even more impressive up close. A majestic aura emanated from it, betraying its divine origin. It was not men who had bled to build this building. The Concepts reminded men that the road to the Eighth Throne was long. No matter how much progress he had made in the last few days, the power gap was still vast. Priam gritted his teeth, the ocean may be vast, but with the System, he could cross it. He would cross it. No matter if he died a million times, he wanted to be a god. He wanted to be free.

If he was honest with himself, he wanted to be powerful. There was something enjoyable about running faster than a galloping horse. I'm sure flying is even better.

His thoughts helped him ignore the aura of the Concepts. A winning mentality was what kept Priam going - literally. The aura was just a test of the Concepts. Getting to the Colosseum was impossible without ambition. Shaking his head, Priam moved closer to the Colosseum.

Lvl Up : [Focus] lvl 12
PERC +1
VIVA +1
DEXT +1

The surrounding area was empty of people, and he made his way to the main entrance. Tjay wasn’t here yet. Inside, a large hall awaited. Luxurious, red and gold dominated. The floor was a massive slab of obsidian, black as night. Priam could see his reflection judging him. On the ceiling, will-o'-the-wisp lights illuminated the room, floating randomly. On the hall's sides, screens showed the games in progress. Out of the corner of his eye, Priam saw a man fighting a species of boar. The fight looked like a bullfight, but the beast seemed to have the advantage.

At the end of the hall, two staircases led to a second floor that was invisible at the moment. On the sides, doors led to apartments and VIP lounges. In the center of the room, an elderly man behind a circular reception desk watched him approach with a smile. Priam moved closer.

"Hello... You're not human, are you?" asked Priam.

The man began to laugh. "You're pretty straightforward, aren't you? Well, you're right, I'm not human. I'm from a changeling race. I took on the appearance of an old man to reassure you. What alerted you?"

"An overall impression. You're imitating an old man, but you have enough muscle to become the face of a protein brand. But most of all, you're dangerous. No human should make me feel this kind of danger normally."

"A protein brand? I know your old world was mostly based on capitalist society, but to sell components of your cells... I chose this muscle mass because it seemed to me that you associate physical strength with size. But I guess that's inconsistent with my supposed age. For danger... You have good instincts," the changeling replied with a smile. The smile brought out teeth sharp enough to bite through steel. Priam felt as if he were in the jaws of a dragon. He could die at any second.

Priam gritted his teeth and stared into the eyes of the individual. Part of his brain suspected that the System would prevent this kind of monster from destroying humanity. But what kept him from backing down was his intimate familiarity with death. Anyone could die, at any time. Some faced death bravely and others ran away. Priam died enough to know that he would not run away again. That was not his way. He would fight to the end, dodge it, push it away. He would elude death.

WILL +1

The changeling laughed and the tension disappeared. "Finally, a proud human. I am Bechar, supervisor of the Colosseum. For the opening, I'll personally handle the reception. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them, Baron Priam..."

Priam relaxed his muscles. He didn't necessarily appreciate the little test he had just undergone, but it certainly wouldn't be the last. This new world valued strength and ambition.

"I have a few questions, yes. First, what is the Colosseum, and how would it benefit me?"

"Excellent questions! The Colosseum is a building created by the System to test warriors. Here, you learn how to fight and survive. The staircase on my left leads to the training rooms. There are several levels, and only the first one is free. They aim to help you unlock the different Heart Supremacies. Domain, Micro and Mastery. I'll let you ask the instructors for more details..."

Priam had already heard about the first two Supremacies. The last one was still unknown to him.

"I've heard of it before. What about the stairs on your right?"

"This is my favorite. If the training rooms teach you how to fight, nothing beats the pressure of death to progress! Matches between two fighters, tournaments, but most importantly... Monster Waves!"

"... I suppose there's a reason I'd want to face hordes of monsters? Other than wealth and fame?"

"I’m saddened that the simple joy of slaughtering your enemies is not enough to motivate you. But the Concepts have thought of everything. Each wave brings a reward and each validated training level too. Attributes, Potential, skills, custom equipment and Titles are awarded to those who prove worthy. It is in addition to your own progress. You're the best human I've seen so far, Baron Priam, and I have clones in all the domes. But if you don't take advantage of the Colosseum, I'd say some humans will catch up with you soon. That would be a shame because with your assets... you could become a real monster."

Bechar paused before continuing.

"I have seen many people like you, Priam. You hesitate. I'm sure you have a family to save or another sentimental quest that is very moving. Can I give you some advice?"

"... I'm listening."

"Don't forget one thing. You are now in the Concept Universe. Here, power decides everything. You can spend the rest of the week looking for your family in domes where tens of millions of people live. Maybe you'll even find them. And then what? They'll go back to their world and you to yours. You'll have to travel between worlds if you want to save them. You must know that this is not an easy task. So, a piece of advice. Get strong. If you are strong enough, nothing will stop you. Earn the title of First Gladiator, and your family will know where to find you. Keep getting better, and one day you will find them."

"What if they died while I was training? My father is old, Bechar."

"This is the Universe of the Concepts. Death is not the end here. You know that, right?"

Bechar's words had a whiplash effect on Priam. The supervisor had no reason to lie. His progress could be meteoric if he took advantage of the Colosseum.

Bechar drew him out of his thoughts.

"So, where do we start?"

The Mercenaries will wait a few more hours.

"I grew up by the sea. I will surf your waves, Bechar."

The sharp teeth of the changeling appeared again. "I'll look forward to it, Priam."

As he climbed the stairs, Priam found a new hall identical to the first. It should have been impossible because he couldn't see the other staircase to the training rooms. Space fuckeries... In the center of the hall, Bechar was waiting again. He indicated to Priam to select on a holographic screen "The Hundred Waves".

The objective was simple: survive a hundred different waves of monsters. Some were alone, and others would attack in groups. It was possible to heal between each wave for the modest sum of a Baron's Core. Fuck Pay to Win. It was possible to forfeit, but it would take a minute to be teleported to safety. Death was possible. Priam thought about the Elite 4 in Pokemon. But now there were a hundred.

After confirming his choice, Priam found himself in the center of a sand-covered amphitheater. With a trident and a net, he could have passed for a perfect ancient retiarius. But today, he was not a gladiator. Today he was hunting monsters.

The stands were empty. It was possible to prohibit the presence of the public by paying a Baron's core. Knowing that watching a private match cost the same, Priam didn't bother. The money spent by spectators to watch the fight would be returned to him in full. If a rich observer was willing to give him a Baron's Core to watch him slaughter monsters, he wouldn't stop him. After all, his mist would camouflage his true skills.

A few seconds after his arrival, a gong sounded and the door in front of him opened. Priam twirled his spear in his hands and greeted his first opponent. A boar appeared, similar to the ones he had killed before.

"Bah. I hope the real monsters come soon."

The boar charged, and with a spear blow, Priam ended its suffering.

The second wave consisted of two boars. The third was four. The fourth was eight. A skilled warrior could have defeated them by playing on the beasts' lack of coordination and propensity to get in each other's way as they charged. But without skill, the warrior would have had to forfeit the fifth wave. The mother boar was back and the best footwork wasn't enough to defeat a two-ton monster. Priam killed it with ease.

Lvl Up : [Strike] lvl 15
STR +1

He then received his first reward. The monsters disappeared quickly after their death and it was impossible to recover their equipment. The rewards in the Colosseum were chosen directly by the warrior. His first reward was an extra level in one of his skills.. Priam decided on [Kinetic Control].

Lvl Up : [Kinetic Control] lvl 13
VIVA +2
DEXT +3
META (FOCUS) +4

It was his primary skill, his bread and butter, giving him many attributes. The only problem was that it gave him Dexterity. If his Dexterity exceeded 100, he would have six attributes above 100. His tribulation would undoubtedly become more difficult.

Priam thought that a regeneration or life-stealing skill must be handy to reach the end of the hundred waves. But if he was strong enough, he wouldn't need it. All roads led to the Zenith. A minute later, the gong sounded again. A wolf stepped forward.

"Let's see how far I can get!"

The giant wolf in wave 10 had been almost as strong as Orthos or Nemea. Priam had easily won by throwing the hoplite spear with all his might. The reward was twenty points of stats. He had chosen Vivacity.

VIVA +20

According to his experience, the feature improved his thinking, learning speed, and mathematical logic. It was already over 100 so it would not trigger Tribulation. Priam's goal was to improve as quickly as possible. Increasing his learning speed was essential for Priam. In the long run, it meant more skill levels and the ability to learn [Mask] without burning out his brain. That was why he preferred Vivacity to Perception, which also had several advantages. In the long run, Priam trusted his brain more than his instincts.

Waves 11 through 15 had summoned falcons. For most humans, fighting a flying opponent was an ordeal. But Priam's spear gave him excellent range. When the raptors refused to attack him, he began to throw his spear. The first birds died quickly, but he eventually missed. Fortunately, a bubble protected the stands and the spear fell to the ground. Priam had to pick it up while dodging the attacks of angry birds. A few minutes later, the Boss of the fifteenth wave was dead.

Lvl Up : [Throw] lvl 9
DEXT +1

His reward was 60 points of Potential, and Priam was happy with his results. He planned to use his Potential before leaving for Viracocha but he was not satisfied at the moment. If asked how much Potential he would have liked to have, he would have said "more".

POT +60

As wave 16 was about to begin, he had still looked anxiously at his 98 Dexterity points. His tribulation was just under 57 hours away, and he saw no way he could not get those last two points. The next few waves washed away his concern. He wasn't so sure he would survive until his tribulation.

Turtles with shells harder than diamonds had appeared. Their brown limbs disappeared under their shells at the slightest danger. Their attack technique was to spit ice hailstones very quickly. A hailstone fired at the speed of a bullet was dangerous even for someone with Priam's constitution. He had to dodge them by calculating their trajectory before they were sent. His Perception allowed him some margin of error because he could see the projectiles despite their speed. Even so, he was occasionally hit. He absorbed as much kinetic energy as possible when shot, thus reducing the impact damage. [Kinetic Control] absorbed much of the kinetic energy received, but the rest was enough to cause bruises.

Priam's efforts to break through their protection proved impossible. Even his most potent attacks left only scratches on the shells. Priam's striking power was too great to hold his spear on impact - the backlash would have shattered the bones in his arm. On his last attempt, he had thrown his spear so hard that it bounced off one shell, then another, and back again. The hoplite weapon had penetrated the sand between his feet with enough force to sink half. Swallowing, Priam ended his experiments before turning the turtles over and skewering them in the openings for their heads. The tactic had proven effective until the Boss of the twentieth wave.

When the gong sounded, Priam felt the ground tremble as Blastoise's genetically engineered big brother approached. A monstrous four-meter-tall turtle glared at him. Seconds later, Priam found himself running for his life.

Cannonball-sized hailstones impacted the ground to his left and right. Compared to its smaller sisters, Blastoise had a high rate of fire, and each of its rounds threatened to amputate Priam. For the first time since the Hundred Waves began, he identified his opponent.

[Identification]
[Galápagos] - A mountain of muscle, hate and laziness, Galapagos is a copy of a lunar Viscount. If it played video games, it would love Tower Defense. Static, it will send you packing if you are not careful.
Its carapace can withstand the attacks of a Count and its ice balls develop the power of a 36-pounder long gun. Its ice balls, with a speed of 450 m/s and energy close to 2 MJ, can pierce a meter of oak wood at 400 meters.
450 m/s is the speed at which you will travel in the afterlife if you are hit.

The arena that was so large at the beginning of the fight was now small in Priam's mind. Within the first few seconds of the battle, he had deployed his mist to the maximum. Galápagos was apparently not equipped with a detection system because the monster regularly missed Priam. But it was modeled after a Lunar Viscount and the mist didn't bother it as much as it should have. It moved slowly but every ball and chain was dangerous. One mistake and he would be finished. He would only regain his immortality in six hours and wasn't sure he could dodge six hours of the artillery barrage.

Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 14
AGI + 1

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 4
PERC +4
CHAR + 2
META (AFFI) +3

Priam focused on both his course and the mist. His skill told him the position of Galapagos without having to turn around. More importantly, the disturbances in the mist told him the trajectory of the ice balls. Priam's Vivacity allowed him to dodge them optimally.

Lvl Up: [Focus] lvl 13
PERC +1
VIVA +1
DEXT +1

The proximity of death allowed the young warrior to excel and spread his wings. His movements became more intelligent as his mental characteristics analyzed the battle. [Athleticism] allowed him to move his muscles properly and change direction on the fly. Occasionally he would use a kinetic charge to slow down or speed up when a cannonball threatened to tear him to pieces.

[Dodge] - Avoiding an attack is easy. Consciously planning the attack's trajectory, analyzing the different possibilities of dodging, and calculating the future movements of all the players in a fight is more challenging. You are a chess player who must play five moves ahead. You are also a pawn on the chessboard.
To dodge is not to be in check. Win this game.
AGI + 1

Priam smiled. He knew death was near, but he who eluded it also liked dancing with it.

Lvl Up: [Athletics] lvl 15
AGI + 1

Lvl Up: [Fitness] lvl 9
STR + 1

Lvl Up: [Dodge] lvl 2
AGI + 1

Lvl Up: [Moon Mist] lvl 5
PERC +4
CHAR + 2
META (AFFI) +3

After several minutes, Priam began to tire. Despite his impressive reserves of stamina, he couldn't run like this for hours. His movements required a lot of energy and his trajectory calculations were also very demanding. The problem was that Priam could not easily approach the monster. At two hundred yards, he had about half a second before he decided where to dodge and to translate thought into action. His Vivacity, Perception and Agility made the maneuver possible, but barely. Of course, the fog screen rendered four out of five attacks harmless as the Boss missed Priam. But the fifth attack was potentially deadly.

As a cannonball passed within inches of his face, Priam had an idea. He waited for the next cannonball and deflected it with his spear to absorb some of its energy. The remaining power from the ball nearly knocked the spear out of his hand. [Kinetic Control] confirmed to him that the energy contained in the attack was titanic. Priam smiled. If one cannonball gave off 2 MJ, the equivalent of seven cannonballs would be 14 MJ.

With that much energy, Priam could fight. He could win.

"Time for round 2."

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

PHYSICAL:
Strength 85
Constitution 103
Agility 112
Vitality 164
Perception 142

MENTAL:
Vivacity 126
Dexterity 99
Memory 33
Willpower 69
Charisma 76

META:
Meta-affinity 65
Meta-focus 56
Meta-endurance 1
Meta-chance 40

Potential: 604
Tier 0